Light Spring For Sense Of Occasion

Trainer Joe Pride plans on giving Sense Of Occasion a very light 2015 Spring Carnival campaign, but he believes that the progressive stayer could develop into a Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup contender in 12 months’ time.

Sense Of Occasion recorded the biggest win of his racing career to date in the 2015 McKell Cup. Photo by: Steve Hart

Sense Of Occasion recorded the biggest win of his racing career to date in the 2015 McKell Cup. Photo by: Steve Hart

Sense Of Occasion started his winter campaign with a fighting victory in the McGrath Estate Agents Handicap (1400m) at Warwick Farm on April 8 and he was only narrowly denied by Darci Magic in The Last Post Handicap (1600m) at Royal Randwick on April 25 before he made her black-type racing debut with a second place finish behind Silverball in the Listed Lord Mayors Cup (2000m) at Rosehill Gardens on May 9.

The Street Sense gelding returned to winning form with a very gutsy victory in the Listed McKell Cup (2400m) at Royal Randwick on May 23 and he was sent to the spelling paddock after he was narrowly denied by Jetset Lad in the Group 2 Brisbance Cup (2200m) at Doomben on June 6.

Pride named Sense Of Occasion the most promising horse in his stable, along with progressive sprinter Craftiness, and he told Racing Ahead that the 2016 Caulfield Cup and the 2016 Melbourne Cup are the long-term goals for the rising five-year-old.

“If I had to nominate two I would say Craftiness and Sense Of Occasion,” Pride said when asked to name two of the most exciting horses in his stable.

“I think they are both really exciting horses that are yet to race at the top level, but are very capable and I think will both make it there.

“Sense Of Occasion because he raced into the winter I think it will be a fairly light spring for him and we will be concentrating on next autumn, which will be here in Sydney.

“I think he is a year away from being a serious Cups contender and he is a very exciting horse.”

Craftiness is more likely to have a lengthy 2015 Spring Racing Carnival campaign in Melbourne after proving that he was capable of being competitive at Group level during his autumn campaign.

The Starcraft gelding recorded four straight wins before he made his debut at Group level with a second place finish behind Our Boy Malachi in the Group 3 Hall Mark Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on April 18 before he was sent to the spelling paddock after he failed to fire in the One Solutions Handicap (1350m) at Rosehill Gardens on May 9.

About The Author

Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.