Joe Pride’s new sprint king Terravista will campaign in Australia during the 2015 Autumn and Spring Carnivals before heading overseas to compete in Hong Kong at the end of the year.

Terravista sporting his winning rug after claiming the Darley Classic at Flemington. Photo by Sarah Ebbett.

Terravista with Hugh Bowman aboard downed a field of top line sprinters in winning the Group 1 $1m Darley Classic (1200m) at Flemington last Saturday to put in his claim as the world’s number one sprinter.

The Warwick Farm trainer went to Flemington touting that Terravista would be the next best sprinter in the world and the tough chestnut lived up to his side of the bargain by defeating Team Hawkes’ emerging star Chautauqua and the Mick Price trained Lankan Rupee who held the crown last season.

“Just as I was about to leg Hughie up, I’ve heard Jo McKinnon (popular media personality) say during the oncourse commentary, ‘and Joe Pride has declared this horse the best sprinter in the world’,’’ Pride told The Daily Telagraph.

“I was thinking this was going to haunt me. It wasn’t an off-the-cuff comment, and when you repeat it, you have to stand by it. It built up a bit of pressure, I went down there having touted him as the world’s best, and here he was starting at double-figure odds. He came out and won, so everyone was happy.’’

Pride had indicated straight after the race that Terravista could head to Royal Ascot in England after the Sydney Autumn Carnival, but on second thoughts the Group 1 HK$15m Longines Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin in December could be a better option.

“Royal Ascot isn’t off the cards, I’ll have to chat with the owners, but the prizemoney isn’t as good there, and if there is a trip overseas next year, I think we’d tack it on to the end of his spring this time next year and take him to Hong Kong,” Pride said.

Pride has mapped out a tentative 2015 Autumn Carnival program and will limit the five year old to four runs, the Group 1 $1m Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington, and the Group 1 $2.5m  T J Smith Stakes (1200m), the Group 2 $400,000 Challenge Stakes (1000m) and Group 1 $400,000 All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick.

“I haven’t stretched him beyond four runs each preparation, and I don’t think I ever will,” Pride said.

“The Newmarket and TJ Smith Stakes will be in there, and possibly the Challenge Stakes and All Aged Stakes, depending how the races are set out (on the calendar).

“He’s not a horse I’d take to Brisbane because I just think it could jeopardise his spring carnival.”

Terravista has now won a total of nine races from thirteen starts and has collected over $1.1 million in prizemoney for his connections.