Racing
King’s Secret successful at maiden Stakes test
Private Eye’s younger half-brother lands maiden Stakes success in Sydney feature.
Joe Pride is not predicting King's Secret will scale the heights of famous half-brother Private Eye, but the Warwick Farm trainer is confident his win in Thursday's Listed Canterbury Sprint will not be his last feature success.
The four-year-old son of Shalaa, who like Private Eye is out of the mare Confidential Queen, landed a maiden Stakes victory when he outground The Instructor to win the $200,000 event at Canterbury.
King's Secret took his record to six wins from 11 starts and lifted his career earnings to $573,575, which is more than $12 million less than multiple Group 1 winner and dual The Everest placegetter Private Eye, but Pride is expecting him to add to it significantly before his career is out.
"He's done a lot in these early stages of his career, but there's a lot more to come," Pride said.
"In 12 months' time, who knows? He might go to the same level (of races) that his brother's reached, not that I'm saying he's going to be as good as him."
Pride plans to give King's Secret three weeks off before a possible taste of Group racing via events such as the Maurice McCarten Stakes, Star Kingdom Stakes and Hall Mark Stakes.
The gelding will be a force in whatever Pride decides to test him in if he shows the grit he showed in the 1200-metre Canterbury Sprint.
The $3.80 second favourite travelled just off leader The Instructor, who had King's Secret off the bit at the 400m before he rallied to head the game $2.70 favourite inside the 200m and edge away to score by a neck. Barber ($6.50) was 1-3/4 lengths away third.
Andrew Adkins was aboard for Thursday's win, as he has been for all but one of King's Secret's successes, and the jockey said the performance was full of merit.
"He's just a deadset winner, he tries so hard, he's puts all his effort in and he executes really well," Adkins said.
"That's not really how I wanted to ride him today, up that close, but with the light weight and the favourite – I didn't want to give it too much start around here – I needed him to be tough and that he was."
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