Terravista To Be Ridden Quieter In George Ryder Stakes Field

Trainer Joseph Pride has revealed that jockey Jason Collett will be instructed to position Terravista off the speed in the 2014 George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

Terravista will be making his debut at Group 1 level in the 2914 George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill Gardens this weekend.

Terravista will be making his debut at Group 1 level in the 2914 George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill Gardens this weekend. Photo by: Steve Hart

Terravista was ridden close to the speed when he claimed victory in the Group 3 Southern Cross Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on February 22 and the Group 3 Liverpool City Cup (1300m) at Warwick Farm on March 8, but Pride said he wants to see the son of Captain Rio hitting the line strongly in the George Ryder Stakes, which will be his final race start before he contests the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Royal Randwick on April 12.

“It was always the plan to go to this race on the pathway to the Doncaster,” Pride told Racing Ahead this morning.

“What I want to see on Saturday is him hitting the line really powerfully.

“To enable him to do that the plan is to ride him off the pace a little bit more than what we have been doing and give him every chance to run right through the line.

“It is just a great test for him.

“He has 51 (kilograms) in the Doncaster and you would have to say we would be well in that race if we can run well Saturday.

“I am very hopeful with him.”

Terravista has failed to impress in trackwork since he took out the Liverpool City Cup, but Pride said that is not unusual for the four-year-old.

Pride believes that Terravista saves his best performances for the raceday, a theory backed-up by his impressive record of six wins from eight stars, and the Group 1 winning trainer is happy for the progressive gelding to struggle in trackwork if he continues to produce when it counts.

“He is lazy; you don’t really see much from him at all in trackwork,” Pride said.

“He is just not a horses who impresses at all on the track, but we are used to that now and I don’t want to see him do any more than that.

“If that is the way he wants to work I am happy to see him do that.”

Pride is chasing his second win in the George Ryder Stakes after taking out the 2009 edition of the race with Vision And Power who went on to win the Doncaster Mile two weeks later.

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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.