Joe Pride aims to position King’s Secret for future appearances in high-profile races like the Everest by focusing on intermediate events such as The Shorts at Canterbury Park this Saturday. In the $1 million race, King’s Secret, a fourth-place finisher in the Concorde Stakes two weeks prior, is listed at $12 odds and faces strong competition from horses aimed directly at the Everest. Pride acknowledges that while King’s Secret needs further development before competing against top-tier sprinters, he sees potential for the horse to excel in lesser yet still prestigious races as Sydney racing structures around major events like the Everest.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-17,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Joe Pride, who won the $20 million Everest race with Think About It in 2023, is eyeing potential slots for his horse King’s Secret in upcoming Sydney spring races. King’s Secret, a half-brother to two-time Everest placegetter Private Eye, narrowly missed a placing in the $1 million Concorde Stakes at Randwick when he came from behind to finish fourth as a $31 chance. For Saturday's race, King’s Secret will compete in the The Shorts (1100m), aiming for another strong performance against Everest hopefuls like Headwall ($3.30) and Joliestar ($3.70). Despite interest in the prestigious Everest event, Pride plans to focus on races such as the Premiere, Sydney, and Gilgai Stakes for King’s Secret.
Written for “Mount Everest Climbing Season” on 2026-09-17,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Joe Pride hopes to one day have King’s Secret, a half-brother to two-time Everest placegetter Private Eye, in the reckoning for a slot in the world’s richest race on turf.
asserted
Secret → hop → turf
Until then, Pride would love to have more suitable options in the Sydney spring for second-tier sprinters.
asserted
Pride → love → sprinters
King’s Secret came from well back to slice between runners and narrowly miss a placing in the $1 million Concorde Stakes (1000m) two weeks ago at Randwick when fourth as a $31 chance.
asserted
Secret → come → chance
The listed Canterbury Sprint winner will face another field stacked with Everest hopefuls on Saturday when he contests the $1 million The Shorts (1100m).
asserted
he → list → Shorts
The eye-catching last-start run and a handy draw in four has the five-year-old at $12 in a TAB market topped by likely Everest contenders Headwall ($3.30) and Joliestar ($3.70), and confirmed runner Ninja ($5).
asserted
old → catch → contenders
While many are chasing the Everest, Pride, who won the $20 million race with Think About It in 2023, was looking ahead to the Premiere, Sydney and Gilgai Stakes with King’s Secret.
asserted
who → chase → Secret
And the Warwick Farm trainer hopes there could be more options in Sydney.
uncertain
trainer → hop → Sydney
“He went super last start and he seems to have pulled up really well,” Pride said of King’s Secret.
asserted
Pride → go → Secret
“He’s probably another run away from his peak, but he’s very honest and genuine.
asserted
he → ’ → peak
He doesn’t run a bad race and I expect the same here.”
asserted
I → run → same
As for the Everest, he said: “I would have thought he’s 12 months away from running in those sorts of races.
asserted
he → say → races
“He’s won a listed race and there’s grades to go through.
asserted
He → win → race
We’re here in a $1 million Shorts, but the way they’ve structured Sydney racing now around this time, everything is an Everest lead-up worth $1 million.
asserted
everything → ’re → time
“The Concorde and Shorts used to be lesser races, but now they are $1 million and all the good horses go in them, so I think they need to put on some listed, group 3s or even just good open handicaps for these sort of horses.”
asserted
they → use → horses
Eight-year-old stablemate Mazu ($13), which ran in the Everest last year, resumes in the Shorts and could follow a similar path to King’s Secret, which he edged out in the Hall Mark Stakes.
uncertain
he → run → Stakes
“He knows nothing else but to get up on speed and go, and he’s in good shape,” Pride said.
asserted
Pride → know → shape
The trainer was also happy with fellow veteran Private Eye, which raised concerns when beating only one home in the Tramway Stakes last start after beginning poorly.
asserted
which → raise → Stakes
The winner of $13 million was down to race in the group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m) at Randwick, but Pride said the nine-year-old would likely be kept for the Testa Rossa Stakes at Caulfield on Sunday week after drawing wide.
asserted
old → race → week
“He does the same in trials, in this second half of his career, if he doesn’t get up there on speed, he’s not playing.
asserted
he → do → speed
He just doesn’t take part,” he said of the Tramway failure.
asserted
he → take → failure
“I’m not too worried.
asserted
I → ’m → ?
He seemed to bounce out of it well.”
asserted
He → seem → it
Pride will have Tramway winner Headley Grange ($3.90) in the Bill Ritchie, a key lead-up and qualifier for the Epsom Handicap (1600m).
asserted
Pride → have → Handicap
“He’ll probably make his way to the Alan Brown Stakes from here, but I’ll see what [jockey] Adam [Hyeronimus] thinks,” he said.
asserted
he → make → what
“If he thinks he’s better suited to an Epsom, we can possibly go there.”
uncertain
we → think → Epsom
He was also keeping his options open with Ceolwulf ($12), one of four taking on Autumn Glow ($1.15) in the $1 million 7 Stakes (1600m).
asserted
He → keep → Stakes
Pride was tossing up a shot at a third consecutive King Charles III Stakes win with Ceolwulf, this time against Autumn Glow, or a switch to the Cox Plate.
asserted
Pride → toss → Plate
“I’m very happy with the horse, he’ll race in the second half of the field and find the line well,” he said.
asserted
he → ’m → line
Outside the features, Pride has high hopes for Castlejohn ($4), a winner three times in four starts which steps up to Saturday grade in the fourth.
asserted
which → have → fourth
The four-year-old won by three lengths last start at Canterbury when Nash Rawiller took him down the outside fence early before cutting the corner into the lead.
asserted
Rawiller → win → lead
“A bad barrier isn’t a bad barrier for him,” he said.
asserted
he → say → him
“He can play up a bit in the gates and I’m happy for him, if he is a bit slow away, to make up for it afterwards.
asserted
he → play → it
I’d have 16 over one every day of the week with him.
asserted
I → have → him
“He looks very promising.
asserted
He → look → ?
He’s been a bit of a slow maturer, but he’s an exciting horse.”
asserted
he → ’ → maturer
The Aporia
