The Joe Pride-trained Private Eye (+1100) caused somewhat of an upset in the 2023 edition of The Shorts (1100m) at Group 2 level at Randwick.
First-up since finishing fifth in the Group 2 Victory Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm on April 29, Private Eye bought up a fourth win when fresh when claiming Overpass (+400) on the winning post in Saturday's Group 2.
Overpass took up the running for most of the event and looked like he might have pinched a winning break when Josh Parr clicked him up with 300m to go.
Private Eye however, despite travelling three wide with no cover showed his trademark turn of foot and really knuckled down inside the final 100m to claim The Quokka (1200m) champion on the winning post.
Buenos Noches (+650) ran on nicely to finish third in what was a strong audition for The Everest (1200m), with race favourite In Secret (+190) a touch disappointing back in fourth after being slow away from the barriers.
It was all honours the winner however, with Private Eye destined to have another run in The Everest having finished second in the race last year.
2023 Group 2 The Shorts Replay – Private Eye | T: Joseph Pride | J: Nash Rawiller
Private Eye's win was Joe Pride's third win in the race over the last six years, having claimed the race in 2018 with Ball Of Muscle and again in 2021 with the recently retired Eduardo.
“I know there is a fair bit of improvement to come. I've said all week, he starts his preparations off really well, he's a good fresh horse,” said Pride.
“But I've trained him a bit differently this time in. I haven't been too hard on him and I'd be surprised if he didn't improve significantly at his next couple of runs.
“A bit of thinking to do whether we go to the Premiere with him or straight to The Everest, but we'll take a deep breath and have a think about that.”
The win handed Rawiller his second feature win of the day after partnering Think It Over to victory in the 7 Stakes (1600m).
“It's an emotional day, isn't it? Great to see Think It Over back and sad to see another old champ leave (Eduardo),” said Rawiller.
“I had Hawaii Five Oh in front of me which didn't want to go to the fence. I thought I'd been riding alright today but that took the race out of our control a little bit.
“I just had to try and get the horse to travel in the right frame of mind and he did that. The way he quickened up coming over the rise, he's going to be very, very hard to beat.
After the win, Private Eye is now an +1000 with online bookmakers for The Everest on October 14.