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Pfieffer takes fresh approach to Ice Kool in Melbourne spring audition

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Kerry, C. (2026, September 17). Pfieffer takes fresh approach to Ice Kool in Melbourne spring audition. The Sydney Morning Herald. https://www.smh.com.au/sport/racing/pfieffer-takes-fresh-approach-to-ice-kool-in-melbourne-spring-audition-20260915-p60xgy.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed

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The Sydney Morning Herald · collected 2026-09-17 · by Craig Kerry

Quick Summary

Trainer David Pfieffer is optimistic about Ice Kool's performance at Randwick on Saturday after a recent flat run where the four-year-old Zoustar gelding finished fourth in an 1100m handicap race. Pfieffer has given Ice Kool a fresh-up trial and believes he will perform better, aiming for easier races before potentially stepping up to more challenging stakes events like the $1 million group 2 Shorts or the Schillaci Stakes later in the spring carnival.
Written by AI on 2026-09-17, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

David Pfieffer believes his horse Ice Kool is ready to bounce back after a disappointing fourth-place finish at Randwick on July 25. Ice Kool had been undefeated in Sydney until this recent performance, and Pfieffer gave the horse a six-week break before re-entering him with a strong trial win. The trainer plans to run Ice Kool as a $3.80 favorite in an upcoming race at Randwick on Saturday, aiming to build up to stakes races during Melbourne's spring carnival. Pfieffer is considering entering Ice Kool in the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes (1100m) on October 10 at Caulfield but acknowledges that challenging top sprinters heading for the Everest might be premature unless Ice Kool shows significant improvement.

Written for “Ice Kool Marketing Refresh” on 2026-11-02, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Ice Kool Marketing Refresh
Sports · 1 article(s) covering the same event.

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Claims extracted
22
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
5%
1 of 22 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
61/100
The Sydney Morning Herald's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
1
Sports
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articles that frame the event the way this one does
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Publisher

The Sydney Morning Herald · 5845 article(s) · 15 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 15 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Craig Kerry
43 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 A draw in 18, which will come into 15 with emergencies out, will make it tougher for Bayliss to give Fully Lit ($10 TAB) a similar ride in a race stacked with speed, but he remained hopeful.
🔮 The son of Written Tycoon, now destined for a career at stud with a group 1 on his resume, will go for a spell and likely return in the Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Randwick in February. “He was only ever going to have four runs, and it was a tough run,” Ryan said.
🔮 The cracking pace set and the barrier helped him clock 1:14.05 on Saturday, bettering Trapeze Artist’s 2019 record of 1:14.19. Godolphin racing and bloodstock manager Jason Walsh said the group 1 CF Orr (1400m) at Sandown on November 14 could be next for Pericles. “We were talking about the CF Orr Stakes from here, but a little bit might depend on whether Beiwacht is turning up there as well, but that’s probably the next option,” Walsh said.
🔮 Michael, John and Wayne Hawkes-trained Federalist was also scratched from the Golden Eagle on Wednesday and will spell, cutting the field to 16. Star mare Sheza Alibi was $1.90 after drawing ideally in six for owner Fred Noffke and Victorian trainers Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman.
🔮 “To look at her, you wouldn’t give much for her, but geez, she seems to have everything.
🔮 He took it on and couldn’t put it together, I suppose, so they asked me to train it.
🔮 “I always had an air of confidence she would run her best race today,” Maher said.
🔮 Why this seven-year-old, $34 shot might just be poised to spring an almighty Everest upset By
🔮 TAB senior trader Tim Ryan says Everest day favourites Ka Ying Rising and Autumn Glow are set to deliver a multimillion dollar “wipeout” on Saturday, after the blow of losing Pride Of Jenni from the King Charles III Stakes.
🔮 The six-year-old, expected to take his winning streak to 22 on Saturday and prizemoney past $37 million, has raced just once on rain-affected going, and won.
2026-10-15 · assertive framing · Runner-by-runner guide to the 2026 Everest
Also by Craig Kerry
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 43 articles by Craig Kerry →

Topics

2 Shorts Ice Kool Melbourne Sydney Warwick Farm

Subjects

Pfieffer PERSON · 4× Ice Kool PERSON · 2× Melbourne GPE · 2× 2 Shorts ORG · 1× David Pfieffer PERSON · 1× Hawker Hall PERSON · 1× Ice Kool’s PERSON · 1× Newcastle GPE · 1× Sydney GPE · 1× Warwick Farm ORG · 1×

Narrative

Pfieffer has long planned to test Ice Kool, a $3.80 chance on Saturday, on the straight courses in Melbourne over the spring carnival and he was eyeing the group 2 Schillaci Stakes (1100m) on October 10 at Caulfield. “Getting some experience down at Melbourne will do him good and, let’s be honest, he doesn’t need to be taking on these sprinters heading to the Everest, unless he comes out and blows them away on Saturday,” he said.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-17
🔮 Pfieffer gave Ice Kool a six-week freshen up before he returned with a sharp, front-running trial win at home on September 3, and he was confident the talent will fire again.
2026-09-17 · The Sydney Morning Herald
Pfieffer takes fresh approach to Ice Kool in Melbourne spring audition · assertive framing

Claims (22 extracted, 1 hedged)

David Pfieffer believes a refreshed Ice Kool is primed to bounce back at Randwick on Saturday from a flat performance as the Warwick Farm trainer looks to step the speedster up to stakes grade in Melbourne. asserted
trainer → believe → Melbourne
Ice Kool’s unbeaten run in Sydney came to an end last start when fourth, two and three-quarter lengths off Hawker Hall, in an 1100m benchmark 88 handicap on July 25 at Randwick. asserted
run → come → Randwick
The four-year-old Zoustar gelding faded after racing forward, three wide without cover, a spot he was able to overcome at his previous start over 1000m in 78 grade. asserted
he → fade → grade
Pfieffer gave Ice Kool a six-week freshen up before he returned with a sharp, front-running trial win at home on September 3, and he was confident the talent will fire again. asserted
talent → give → September
He nominated him for the $1 million group 2 Shorts over 1200m but opted for the easier task in the last, a benchmark 88 handicap over 1100m. “He raced a fraction flat,” Pfieffer said of the most recent run. asserted
Pfieffer → nominate → run
“I know he was three deep, but he’d get away with that in the past, although I know you can’t keep doing that as you go up in grade. asserted
you → know → grade
“I think he appreciates being kept that bit fresh and obviously being up on pace, but just these little things he does wrong are signs of immaturity and a lot of it comes down to him being a boy in a man’s game. asserted
him → think → game
“For now, we’ll just take these baby steps while he’s developing his trade. asserted
he → take → trade
Even just stepping slow from the gates, it’s just little things he’s doing wrong that aren’t helping him. asserted
that → step → him
“But I thought his trial was super. asserted
trial → think → ?
He stepped away from the gates nice, put himself on pace, travelled along at a comfortable tempo without overdoing it. asserted
He → step → it
He ran good sectionals without asking a lot of him. asserted
He → run → him
“And his coat, I think come Saturday, it will be the best he’s looked his whole career, and like the old saying goes, when they look good, they race well.” asserted
they → think → ?
Pfieffer has long planned to test Ice Kool, a $3.80 chance on Saturday, on the straight courses in Melbourne over the spring carnival and he was eyeing the group 2 Schillaci Stakes (1100m) on October 10 at Caulfield. “Getting some experience down at Melbourne will do him good and, let’s be honest, he doesn’t need to be taking on these sprinters heading to the Everest, unless he comes out and blows them away on Saturday,” he said. asserted
he → plan → Saturday
“Then you might rethink and go, do we throw him in the Premiere? uncertain
we → rethink → Premiere
But at this stage, you are taking the safer play.” asserted
you → take → play
At Newcastle on Friday, Pfieffer has Oh Diamond Lil ($4) from gate one in the group 3 Tibbie Stakes. asserted
Pfieffer → have → Stakes
“She was three deep for a bit then she had to push across and get to the front,” he said. asserted
he → have → front
“I just don’t think she got that mid-race breather, and being a six-year-old mare now, she’s probably holding a bit more condition and the fitter horses had her covered. asserted
her → think → condition
“She wasn’t beaten far, her sectionals were still strong. asserted
sectionals → beat → ?
They went five lengths above average mid-race, so that’s going to test a lot of horses out first-up. asserted
that → go → horses
She’s come out of it well.” asserted
She → come → it
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