Pride looks for targets below Everest shadow for King’s Secret

Craig KerrySeptember 17, 2026 — 3:33pmJoe Pride hopes to one day have King’s Secret, a half-brother to two-time Everest placegetter Private Eye, in the reckoning for a slot in the world’s richest race on turf.Until then, Pride would love to have more suitable options in the Sydney spring for second-tier sprinters.King’s Secret comes down the outside to win at Rosehill in June last year.Getty ImagesKing’s Secret came from well back to slice between runners and narrowly miss a placing in the $1 million Concorde Stakes (1000m) two weeks ago at Randwick when fourth as a $31 chance.The listed Canterbury Sprint winner will face another field stacked with Everest hopefuls on Saturday when he contests the $1 million The Shorts (1100m). The eye-catching last-start run and a handy draw in four has the five-year-old at $12 in a TAB market topped by likely Everest contenders Headwall ($3.30) and Joliestar ($3.70), and confirmed runner Ninja ($5).While many are chasing the Everest, Pride, who won the $20 million race with Think About It in 2023, was looking ahead to the Premiere, Sydney and Gilgai Stakes with King’s Secret. And the Warwick Farm trainer hopes there could be more options in Sydney.“He went super last start and he seems to have pulled up really well,” Pride said of King’s Secret.“He’s probably another run away from his peak, but he’s very honest and genuine. He doesn’t run a bad race and I expect the same here.”As for the Everest, he said: “I would have thought he’s 12 months away from running in those sorts of races.“He’s won a listed race and there’s grades to go through. We’re here in a $1 million Shorts, but the way they’ve structured Sydney racing now around this time, everything is an Everest lead-up worth $1 million.“The Concorde and Shorts used to be lesser races, but now they are $1 million and all the good horses go in them, so I think they need to put on some listed, group 3s or even just good open handicaps for these sort of horses.”Eight-year-old stablemate Mazu ($13), which ran in the Everest last year, resumes in the Shorts and could follow a similar path to King’s Secret, which he edged out in the Hall Mark Stakes.“He knows nothing else but to get up on speed and go, and he’s in good shape,” Pride said.The trainer was also happy with fellow veteran Private Eye, which raised concerns when beating only one home in the Tramway Stakes last start after beginning poorly. The winner of $13 million was down to race in the group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m) at Randwick, but Pride said the nine-year-old would likely be kept for the Testa Rossa Stakes at Caulfield on Sunday week after drawing wide.Nash Rawiller winning the PB Lawrence Stakes last year on Private Eye.Getty Images“He does the same in trials, in this second half of his career, if he doesn’t get up there on speed, he’s not playing. He just doesn’t take part,” he said of the Tramway failure.“I’m not too worried. He seemed to bounce out of it well.”Pride will have Tramway winner Headley Grange ($3.90) in the Bill Ritchie, a key lead-up and qualifier for the Epsom Handicap (1600m).“He’ll probably make his way to the Alan Brown Stakes from here, but I’ll see what [jockey] Adam [Hyeronimus] thinks,” he said.“If he thinks he’s better suited to an Epsom, we can possibly go there.”He was also keeping his options open with Ceolwulf ($12), one of four taking on Autumn Glow ($1.15) in the $1 million 7 Stakes (1600m). Pride was tossing up a shot at a third consecutive King Charles III Stakes win with Ceolwulf, this time against Autumn Glow, or a switch to the Cox Plate.Chad Schofield salutes on Ceolwulf in the King Charles III Stakes last year.Getty Images“I’m very happy with the horse, he’ll race in the second half of the field and find the line well,” he said.Outside the features, Pride has high hopes for Castlejohn ($4), a winner three times in four starts which steps up to Saturday grade in the fourth. The four-year-old won by three lengths last start at Canterbury when Nash Rawiller took him down the outside fence early before cutting the corner into the lead. A draw in 16 for Saturday was not a worry for Pride.“A bad barrier isn’t a bad barrier for him,” he said.“He can play up a bit in the gates and I’m happy for him, if he is a bit slow away, to make up for it afterwards. I’d have 16 over one every day of the week with him.“He looks very promising. He’s been a bit of a slow maturer, but he’s an exciting horse.”From our partners