By Chris Roots
Joe Pride will look to finish his week on a high at Randwick on Saturday after having a short-lived deal with Betfair blocked by Racing NSW's rule against sponsorship of trainers by betting organisations.
The brightest young trainer in Sydney was offered a deal by the betting exchange, owned by James Packer, similar to that of Mick Price's in Melbourne and was unveiled as the agency's Sydney partner at a lunch on Tuesday. Within a day the deal, which was related to branding for the stable, was null and void because of the rule brought in following the More Joyous saga and the commercial relationship between Gai Waterhouse's stable and her son Tom's bookmaking company.
Mudlark: Tiger Tees takes the Aurie's Star Handicap for Damien Oliver earlier this month.Credit: Getty Images
"I actually didn't know of the rule and I had checked with Racing NSW and they had first told me it should be all right," Pride said. "Then I spoke with [Racing NSW chief executive] Peter V'landys and he told me there was a rule and that I couldn't sign up with Betfair.
"Peter explained it is a rule about perception and integrity, and I understand why they would have it. I have no problem with working within in it, but it is difficult to understand on the other hand when trainers in other states have done a similar deals without breaking any rules there. This deal would have given my business a lot more exposure, but we have moved on and I just want to get back to training winners."
The winners could flow on Saturday as noted mudlark Tiger Tees lines up in the $175,000 Warwick Stakes, while sprint prospect Terravista returns as favourite in the $125,000 Show County Quality and Rock Sturdy continues to his path towards the Epsom in the opener.
"It is a good team to take to races and it is a bit exciting because I think the best is in front of most of them," Pride said. "Even Diamond Oasis, which has his first start for me in the last, is the sort of horse that could step up in the spring.
"He is going very well and has been gelded since his last preparation, and if it wasn't wet I would say he would have been my best of the day."
Tiger Tees has group-1 success from The Galaxy on a wet track in the autumn and followed it up with a fourth in the T.J. Smith on a heavy Randwick. The now seven-year-old has the benefit of a first-up win in the Aurie's Star Handicap at Flemington.
Although he ran third in the All Aged Stakes, also in the autumn, Pride says there is still a doubt about Tiger Tees running out a strong 1400 metres.
"It is as far as he wants to go, but he goes into this race with that run under his belt and I had him very tuned up first-up," Pride said. "We know that the wet ground will be a benefit to him and he will run a top race."
While Tiger Tees is a group-1 winner and runs in the group-2 feature of the afternoon, the Warwick Farm trainer is clear in his opinion of Terravista.
"I have said before he is the potentially the best I have in the stable," he said. "He has come back very well and I'm looking to keet him to sprinting this time.
"I think this preparation could be his best and I have planned to have three runs to get him to Flemington in Cup week ... if he is flying we go to the group 1 but there also the possible of going to the group 2 down the straight on Derby day.
"He is the sort of horse that is exciting because he is getting better all the time."
Meanwhile, Rock Sturdy will be out to further improve his record in the benchmark 85 1400m that opens the Randwick card.
"The Epsom is a race that is there for him but he has to keep winning to get there and that would include Saturday," Pride said.