3 hours ago
6
Craig Kerry
April 30, 2026 — 5:00pm
Trainer Joe Pride is counting on versatile veteran Estadio Mestalla defying the odds again first up when he flies the flag for the expanding Warwick Farm stable in the Hawkesbury Gold Rush (1100m) on Saturday.
The seven-year-old has been set a tough task in the listed sprint after drawing gate 14 to go with his top weight of 61 kilograms, 4.5kg more than the next highest-rated runner.
The scenario, though, is similar to his first-up assignment in the spring when he flashed home in the $300,000 Choisir Handicap (1100m) at Randwick carrying 63 kilograms from a wide alley to nab stablemate Accredited on the line. Adam Hyeronimus weaved a path through the field on that occasion and he has the ride again.
Estadio Mestalla did not win again last campaign, but he picked up handy cheques with seconds in $1 million The Gong (1600m), $2 million The Ingham (1600m) and the listed Summer Cup (2000m).
Pride said Estadio Mestalla was preparing for a potential run at the group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 13, but he still expected him to perform well on Saturday and at Scone on May 16.
“He’s a good horse and won fresh last time on cup day, and he never runs a bad race,” Pride said.
“Last prep he won to start the prep carrying 63kg over 1100, then he ran second in the Summer Cup over 2000 to end it, so he’s a versatile horse and a ripper.”
Pride had a treble on the Hawkesbury standalone card last year with City Of Lights in the Crown, Dragonstone in the Gold Rush and Cool Jakey in the last.
This year his only other runner is Godolphin-owned mare Crepe Myrtle, which races second-up in the fifth, an 1100m benchmark 78 handicap. She was third when resuming in the same grade midweek at Warwick Farm. Hyeronimus will also have to negotiate a wide gate with Crepe Myrtle, which was $6.50.
“That draw is more problematic for her than him because she’s a go-forward horse,” Pride said.
Pride nominated In Flight for the meeting but elected to instead race her in the group 2 Victory Stakes at Eagle Farm. The five-year-old and fellow Proven Thoroughbreds-owned, Pride-trained mares Cosmonova and The Black Cloud are lots at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale next week.
The trio could leave a Pride stable which will expand from 60 to 80 boxes after it gained an additional 20 this week from the move of Ciaron Maher’s Warwick Farm team to Randwick’s Leilani Lodge. Annabel and Rob Archibald gained an extra 15 boxes at Warwick Farm.
“We’ll probably go to an extra 10 to start with then build up, but over the next 12 months, with more horses, you’d be hoping for more winners,” Pride said.
Yulong empire builds with Segenhoe deal
Racing powerhouse Yulong has expanded its stallion operation into NSW after announcing the purchase of the 1400-acre Segenhoe Stud in the Hunter Valley.
Yulong also announced late on Wednesday that it will retire group 1 winners Private Harry and Devil Night to stand at the new stud alongside Alabama Express, Tagaloa and Lucky Vega.
The operation has eight stallions standing at its Victorian base. Yulong said Segenhoe Stud, established in 1908, will be redeveloped to accommodate 10 stallions.
“This is not simply an expansion of our footprint, but a reflection of our confidence in the future of the Australian thoroughbred industry,” Yulong general manager Jun Zhang said.
“We believe Segenhoe provides an outstanding foundation to build a world-class stallion operation in NSW, and we are committed to investing in its people, its horses and its long-term success.”
