Trainer Joe Pride has declared his undefeated gelding Superium “a winner” ahead of the youngster’s three-year-old debut in the $140,000 Listed The Rosebud (1100m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Dawn Passage is one of the best fancied 3YOs in 2019 The Rosebud betting this weekend. Photo: Steve Hart.
Pride has been singing the up-and-coming Verrazano chestnut praises all week as Superium prepares for his black-type debut on Missile Stakes Day.
He has won his opening two career starts including a 2.4 length victory on debut over 1100m at Bathurst on March 17.
In early April the then juvenile raced in the $150,000 Wellington Boot (1100m) and saluted for the punters as the odds-on favourite.
Pride has kept his ace pick of the two-year-olds from last season fit with three winter trials, the latest producing a Warwick Farm win over 803m on July 26 with Glen Boss in the saddle.
Boss continues his association riding Superium in The Rosebud.
“[Boss] stepped off him after one of his trials and said he feels like the sort of horse that has a lot under the bonnet and he will just lift to beat his opposition,” Pride told the media this week.
“It is funny he said that because when you watch his two wins that’s exactly what he did. He lifted to beat his opposition.
“You can’t beat winners and he’s a winner.”
As yet unraced in the city, the bookies had Superium flying under the radar in The Rosebud betting at the start of the week.
The punters however have caught on, Ladbrokes.com.au paying shortening The Rosebud odds on Pride’s runner in from $11 to $8.50.
It is no doubt a notable rise in class as Superium prepares to take on a quality line-up of three-year-olds potentially eyeing a run in the Group 1 $1 million Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) back at the track on September 28.
The Rosebud field includes the likes of the Chris Waller-trained I Am Invincible filly Lucicello ($3.50), Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott’s classy colt Dawn Passage ($3.80) who has form around subsequent Group 1 winner Castelvecchio and Team Snowden’s dual Group 2 winner Anaheed ($7.50).
Pride however remains full of confidence and rates Superium a genuine winning chance tackling the Listed feature just three runs into his very promising career.
“It’s not so often I will put a horse into black type so early in his career but I just saw an opportunity here,” Pride said.
“He has just trialled up like a horse that will step up wherever I take him.
“He stood out among my two-year-olds this year and put a couple together pretty easily. I could take an easier path, he is only a [Benchmark] 64 horse but I thought it was worth a shot with him.
“When they are unbeaten you still don’t know how good they are. But he has made significant improvement since he raced last which he needs to do.”
Further boosting the horse’s chances are the notable drop in weight from the 56kg in carried in his two earlier wins to just 53kg under the quality handicap conditions of The Rosebud.
“I think people will look at the form and go Bathurst and Wellington but when you watch both wins they were really dominant over his opposition which I think they need to be,” Pride said.
“He is the only unbeaten horse in the race and I think his trials have been building. He has had three trials so he is very forward in condition.
“He is a lovely big strong horse and I think he will run well especially with no weight on his back.”
Superium is currently a triple-figure roughie at $101 in pre-nomination Golden Rose 2019 betting at Ladbrokes.com.au.
