Pride, Gibbons lead the way as Estadio Mestalla scores stakes boilover

5 hours ago 4

By Craig Kerry

July 5, 2025 — 6.00pm

Warwick Farm trainer Joe Pride played the blinkers card earlier than usual to pull off a Winter Stakes upset with $61 shot Estadio Mestalla as part of a double for the stable and treble for jockey Dylan Gibbons at Rosehill on Saturday.

Disappointed with the six-year-old’s two unplaced runs back this preparation, Pride felt he had to make a change with Estadio Mestalla and it proved a masterstroke.

Dylan Gibbons and Estadio Mestalla cruise to victory in the Winter Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday.

As well as the blinkers going on, Pride issued a change of tactics, sending Estadio Mestalla and Gibbons forward from gate 10 in the listed 1400m event. They led and were never threatened in the one-and-a-half-length win ahead of Robusto.

“The horse has been good, and I couldn’t work it out because he’s a very genuine horse,” Pride said.

“He hasn’t got a poor run in him, but his last two have been average.

“I’ve been telling the jocks, watch him going to the gates because he’ll pull and be a bit ferocious, but the first two runs back he’s been like a little kid’s pony. Today he took off a bit on the rider and I thought, this is better.”

Pride said the “fantastic money-spinner”, which has won about $600,000 for connections after they paid $65,000 for the then Chris Waller-trained galloper in November 2023, could next target the Winter Challenge in two weeks.

Gibbons also had wins with Good Banter (John O’Shea and Tom Charlton) and Brave One (Team Hawkes) on a day his younger brother, Ryan, was on valet duties and his grandparents, Cathy and John, were trackside.

“He reckon he must have done four or five meetings now and I’ve had eight to 10 winners,” Gibbons said of Ryan’s new role.

“He’s going better than me, so I’ll have to keep him around.”

Pride earlier relished the win of Storm The Ramparts and looked to the July Sprint at Rosehill in two weeks after the four-year-old defied a betting drift and big weight on the track.

Chasing a third benchmark 78 handicap win across his past four starts, the gelding known as “Thunder” at the Pride stables led under Josh Parr and easily held off his rivals over 1100m carrying 62.5 kilograms.

Pride said Storm The Ramparts, which has come back from a shoulder fracture, was getting better with age and thrived on wet tracks.

He said the July Sprint “wouldn’t be out of the question” before quipping, “or we might take him back to Randwick next week and run him in another 78 race and cop the couple of extra kilos”.

“Everyone was telling me weight was going to stop him today,” Pride said. “Punters’ obsession with weight is ridiculous. My horse is a better horse than [$1.80 favourite] Tarpaulin. I don’t care, throw another couple of kilos on his back, he’s just a better horse.”

Storm The Ramparts is out of the same mare, Quick’s The Word, as Pride-trained Dragonstone. Pride also has a filly, by Captivant, out of Quick’s The Word.

The win was part of a double for Parr, who piloted $21 shot Cloudland to a first-up victory for Newcastle trainer Kris Lees in the eighth, a 1200m benchmark 88.

Force to be reckoned with

Jockey Tommy Berry believed Raging Force could catch his rivals napping in spring features after the Peter Snowden-trained gelding was dominant in the two-year-old (1100m) handicap at Rosehill.

The son of Cosmic Force made it three from three this preparation after taking a sit behind Lull on Saturday before racing through a gap late and powering to a two-length win.

Berry believed Raging Force, which was spelled after an injury on debut in the Breeders Plate, was a preparation away from his best but could test the top three-year-olds in the spring.

“He’s up and running now, heading to the Run to The Rose, Rosebud, Golden Rose, where the horses who have already proven themselves at the top level are still getting fit,” Berry said.

“He’s the fit horse on the scene and he might be able to catch them napping hopefully,” Berry said.

He was proud of how Raging Force handled the changing race tactics, after they initially went for the lead.

“It just shows his versatility, how smart he is now and how much he’s willing to work with us,” he said.

The Snowden stable plan to give Raging Force a short let-up before plotting a spring campaign.

Diddle Dumpling sweet for spring goal

Trainer Gerald Ryan was eyeing early spring stakes races for Diddle Dumpling after she broke through in town with a front-running ride from Tim Clark on her home track.

The three-year-old Deep Field filly, a $325,000 Magic Millions buy for John Singleton, led and kicked well late for a one-length victory over Matt Smith-trained, Gerry Harvey-owned Golden Straand.

Ryan said Diddle Dumpling overraced early in her career but had been racing better this time in. She won well at Gosford the start previous with a front-running ride from Nash Rawiller and connections opted to try the tactic again from a wide gate on Saturday.

“We’ll probably try to win another one of these, but we’re hoping to get black type with her,” Ryan said.

“She handles wet ground, so maybe a couple of those early mares races in August-September might be all right for her.”

African Daisy finally blossoms

Jockey Tim Clark believed the quick back-up, addition of blinkers, the inside draw and a soft surface were key factors in Jason Deamer-trained African Daisy winning for the first time in 889 days at Rosehill on Saturday.

The six-year-old, a $9.50 Sportsbet chance, won the Midway 1200m benchmark 72 handicap on a soft 7, a week after finishing last in a 1300m edition of the grade on good going at the track.

Clark gave the Dynamic Syndications mare a sit behind the leader from gate one before pushing out to make clear running at the 300m on the way to a half-length victory over Equilibrist.

“She was plain the other day, so they went quick-up, blinkers on, for something different and it worked,” said Clark, who rode African Daisy at the end of her last preparation.

Ciaron Maher-trained Hi Dubai made it a double for Dynamic Syndications with a gritty front-running effort in the 1100m benchmark 78 for fillies and mares.

Yes Yes Yes to Gooree Park

Everest winner Yes Yes Yes will stand at Gooree Park Stud this spring after a switch from Coolmore.

Yes Yes Yes, which won the 2019 Everest in track record time, will stand at the Mudgee stud for $16,500 in his sixth season as a stallion after injury limited his racing career to eight starts.