Racing
Friday trial appearance for Attica
Spring Champion Stakes winner returns to the trials this week
Fans of Attica do not have to wait long for another look at the Group 1-winning colt, who is set to return to the trials this Friday.
The son of Lonhro is well-advanced in his preparations for the Autumn Carnival and will stretch his legs in what will likely be the first of three trials on his home track at Warwick farm.
The three-year-old has not been seen publicly since winning the Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick on October 25, less than two months after his debut, and Pride said while his break was only brief, he had taken great benefit from it.
"He only had a short let-up and I've been really happy with him," he said.
"It was all in his first racing preparation last time around, but he's made some nice improvement and I'm really pleased with the way he's moving along."
Attica's Spring Champion Stakes win came at his fourth racetrack appearance, which was his third win.
He is being geared towards a return to racing in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on February 21.
Attica is raced by Godolphin, whose famous royal blue colours are also sported by Victoria Derby winner Observer, and Pride said while the Randwick Guineas was his early Group 1 target he was not locked into plans beyond that 1600m event on March 7.
"He'll more than likely have three trials and he'll be in the Hobartville first-up," Pride said.
"We just have to be guided by how he goes in those first few runs."
The second of Attica's trials will be at Warwick Farm on January 22, the set that is likely to signal the reappearance of his star stablemate Ceolwulf.
The Tavistock gelding claimed the mantle as Australia's best miler in his final two runs of last spring, winning a second King Charles III Stakes and the Champions Mile at Flemington and Pride said that first trial would be the first step in a campaign also not yet set in stone.
"It will be a similar plan with him this time around, we'll get some racing into him and see where he's at."
Ceolwulf resumed with a fourth placing in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) last February with a third placing in the George Ryder Stakes his best Group 1 performance, while his lone win came in the Neville Sellwood Stakes over 2000m.
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