Eduardo A Star In The Galaxy
Trainer Joe Pride was wondering what could go wrong in the lead up to the Group 1 Galaxy at Rosehill on Saturday.
But he need not have worried as Eduardo gave his rivals a galloping lesson to take out the 1100m sprint under handicap conditions.
Judging the pace perfectly, Nash Rawiller guided Eduardo (+450) to a three-and-a-half length win from Order Of Command (+2500) with Jonker (+1600) a further two-and-a-half lengths off third.
“I brought him here today and wondered what could go wrong because you know you’ve got the horse on song,” Pride said.
“But there’s the variables of the weight and the way the track was playing.
“What I like about Nash, I just said to Nash ‘I’m not going to tell you what to do mate’ and he was confident he said ‘I’ll find the fence and I’ll just take care of it’.
“He was confident, he knew what he needed to do and he did it.”
After starting his career in Melbourne with Sarah Zschoke, Pride took over the training of Eduardo last year and has prepared the sprinter to win four races.
Eduardo is unbeaten in two starts this campaign having lowered the colours of Nature Strip in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes at Randwick on March 6.
Pride said Eduardo would return to Randwick for the Group 1 T J Smith (1200m) on April 10.
“The horse is a very good horse,” Pride said.
“He’s made a statement today, he made it the other day actually, but it was a statement not taken up by all.
“Wow, that was an amazing win and there’s better ahead of this horse, there’s no doubt about that.”
Rawiller described Eduardo as “a jet” and said the sprinter deserves another shot at The Everest at Randwick in October.
Eduardo finished second last behind Classique Legend in last year’s edition.
“He’ll be in it (again this) year, a hundred percent he’ll be a genuine contender,” Rawiller said.
“He’s come back a better horse this season and he feels like to me he will only get better.”