Trainer Joe Pride

Joe Pride will be looking to press on with his best ever season as a trainer with a month to go in what could be considered a breakthrough year.

He’s well in the mix of scoring a winning double this Saturday at Rosehill Gardens with both Rain Affair and Title considered top chances in their respective events.

While Title contests the more important race on the card, Rain Affair will carry a mountain of interest given his highly impressive record.

He’s started just five times so far but the three-year-old gelding has won four of them.

The other result was a second so there’s no shortage of potential running through his veins.

He’s first up off a two month spell but come sin after a comprehensive domination of a Randwick barrier trial.
“He’s in good order, he had a soft trial the other day. When I say soft, he tends to go for it in those trials but we tried to look after him,” Pride said.

“He’s really good, I’m happy with him.

“You can never go to the races too confident but I think he should run very well.”

He will stay at handicap level for this run with Pride still keeping him away from black type racing for the time being.
“If you win a Listed race you shouldn’t be ungrateful you can’t get BOBS, but why would I take him to a Listed race and get smashed by the handicapper when I can pick up $60,000 for a Saturday race,” he said.

It’s a different story for Title though which has proved himself in the higher grade and will run in the Civic Stakes fresh off the back of his Takeover Target win.

This is arguably a tougher field than what he encountered at Gosford though and he’ll need to be at least as good if not better at Rosehill.
“He seems great this week, we he strikes form he stays there,” Pride said.

“He’s dumb, but they’re the most genuine type of horses – the ones that don’t over think it. Let me tell you if he’s dumb then Rain Affair is dumber.”

These are the main threats from the Pride camp with his other runner Recorrido not quite as fancied in his handicap assignment.