Trainer Joe Pride admits that he doesn’t know what to expect from Keep Cool as he lines up for his stable debut in the Group 3 $150,000 Panthers Hawkesbury Gold Cup (1600m) at Hawkesbury’s stand alone meeting on Saturday.
Keep Cool will be making debut for the Joe Pride stable in the Hawkesbury Gold Cup. Photo by Sarah Ebbett.
The new stable acquisition has had one trial for Pride since being transferred from Danny O’Brien’s Flemington stables and pleased Pride with a second over 800m at Warwick Farm on Monday.
But Pride admits that he is struggling to line up Keep Cool’s Victorian form and will have to wait and see how he competes against the locals to get a good guide on the seven year old.
“I was pleased with his trial and he will go to the Hawkesbury Cup,” Pride told AAP.
“I’m not sure how he lines up against the others. It’s new to me and him.”
Keep Cool was sent up to Pride after beating one runner home when eleventh over 1600m at Moonee Valley on March 29 at his first run back a spell.
The High Chaparral seven year old’s best recent form was before Christmas with a second over 2000m at Flemington in November and a third over the same course and distance on December 14.
While five of Keep Cool’s eight wins have been over or around the 2000m journey.
The Hawkesbury Race Club extended nominations for the Hawkesbury Gold Cup until Tuesday morning after receiving fifteen entries when nominations closed on Monday.
The original nominations include the in-form Leebaz from the Team Hawkes stable and Wistful who will be one of the last runner’s that trainer Peter Snowden saddles up for Darley Australia before he hands over the reins to John O’Shea on Sunday morning..
Leebazz resumed from a spell with wins at Randwick over 1400m and Warwick Farm over 1600m in restricted grade before running second as favourite to Weary in the Group 3 $150,000 Doncaster Prelude (1500m) at Rosehill on April 5.
Golden Slipper winning jockey James McDonald will be back aboard Leebaz after partnering him at his last two starts.
Wistful will be stepping back up to Group 3 company following her second to Destiny’s Kiss over 1600m in a BenchMark 95 at Warwick Farm on April 25.
The Tiger Hill mare showed some fair form in the Spring and after winning over 1700m against the mares at Flemington, finished third to Floria in the Group 3 $135,000 Le Pine Funerals Summoned Stakes (1600m) at Caulfield on November 16.
