Pride Bullish About Craftiness In Ranvet Handicap

Craftiness will start his 2016 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival campaign in the 2016 Ranvet Handicap at Royal Randwick tomorrow and trainer Joe Pride is extremely confident that the talented sprinter will make a winning start to his preparation.

Craftiness has the chance to return to winning form in the 2016 Ranvet Handicap at Royal Randwick this weekend. Photo by: Daniel Costello

Craftiness has the chance to return to winning form in the 2016 Ranvet Handicap at Royal Randwick this weekend. Photo by: Daniel Costello

Craftiness started his 2015 Spring Racing Carnival campaign with a close second behind Shiraz in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m) at Royal Randwick on September 5, but he was beaten as a short-price favourite in the Le Pine Funerals Handicap (1100m) at Caulfield on September 26 before he failed to fire in the Listed City Tatts Club Lightning (1100m) at Royal Randwick on October 17.

Pride told Racing Ahead that he does not believe Craftiness handled the firm tracks in the second and third starts of his spring campaign and is confident that the five-year-old can return to winning form on a soft track in the Ranvet Handicap.

“He is really good and I am very pleased with him,” Pride said.

“He has had one easy trial and he is a horse that is very good with the sting out of the ground.

“His run at Caulfield and his run at Randwick the tracks were a bit firm for him and back on a wet track there tomorrow he is going to be very hard to beat.

“Over 1000 metres I don’t think that weight matters that much and class is the main factor there.

“He has a clear class edge over his rivals and I would be disappointed if he didn’t win.

“He is in for a big carnival I believe and the way he starts the carnival is with a win against these sort of horses.”

Craftiness has been included in the nominations for the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) and he will likely be given the opportunity to record a maiden win at black-type level following his second place finishes in the Hall Mark Stakes and Concorde Stakes and his City Tatts Club Lightning flop.

Pride also has Shadow Lord in the Banjo Paterson Handicap (1400m) and Soros in the Colin Tidy Tribute Handicap (1600m), while Diamond Oasis has been sent to Melbourne for the Listed WJ Adam Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield.

Craftiness is currently available at 2016 Ranvet Handicap odds of $3 and he is on the second line of betting behind last start winner Felines ($2).

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.