Sydney weight-for-age star Ceolwulf all but booked a ticket back to Flemington for next year’s Cox Plate after bursting the bubble of Mr Brightside and Pride Of Jenni with a gritty performance to win the $3m Champions Mile (1600m).
In his first trip away from home in his 25-start career, the horse that Joe Pride says is the best he has ever trained showed why his trainer has so much faith in him, overcoming Pericles in a slogging drive to the line.
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The five-year-old son of Tavistock secured his fourth Group 1 success, with Pride saying the interstate trip could elevate the horse’s status as he eyes off the 2026 Cox Plate, which will be run at Flemington next October.
“I’d love to be back for the Cox Plate,” Pride said.
“Whether or not he is as good at 2000 (metres) as he is at a mile, we’ll find out in the autumn (and) probably in the Queen Elizabeth (2000m). (This) is a great way to finish the year.”
“He’s an amazing horse. I’m just so proud of him. I’ve thought for a long time he’s the best horse I’ve trained and with his last two wins (the Champions Mile and the King Charles III Stakes), he’s certainly cemented his spot there.”
The victory pushed Ceolwulf through the $10m prizemoney mark, with the $5 chance toughing it out in a drive to the line to edge out Pericles ($19) by a short-half head with Stefi Magnetica ($11) in third place.
Old warriors Mr Brightside and Pride Of Jenni finished fifth (beaten 11 lengths) and eighth (beaten 17 lengths).
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Vets found Empire Rose Stakes winner Pride Of Jenni lame in the left hind, while there were no abnormalities found with Mr Brightside.
Declan Bates said Pride of Jenni “hated this heavy track … a long way out she was sort of dipping and diving underneath me and I just wasn’t able to use that stride to get away. (She) just purely, simply hated the ground.”
Craig Williams said Mr Brightside “wanted to hang out throughout the race so he definitely wasn’t at his best.
“Most importantly he’s come through the race OK.”
Mr Brightside’s co-trainer JD Hayes said: “We’ll see how he pulls up in the morning, it was an uncharacteristic performance by him. They did go very fast (early) for a wet track so we’ll just see how he is in the morning.”
Jockey Chad Schofield, who rode Shamus Award to Cox Plate success as an apprentice back in 2013, is confident Ceolwulf can measure up in next year’s 2040m weight-for-age championship.
“I’ve got one Cox Plate, I’d love another,” Schofield said.
“If you had asked me how I was feeling at the 400m, I’d have said it was race over. He ambled up and came into it but in the Flemington straight he put his head up and baulked.
“That allowed Pericles to get a margin on me, and when he saw him he went again.
“It looked tough and hard fought but that gawk at the top of the straight cost him a bit.”
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Originally published as Joe Pride eyes Cox Plate with Ceolwulf following Group 1 Champions Mile triumph at Flemington
