Trainer Joe Pride saw plenty to like about Private Eye's closing second in a barrier trial at Warwick Farm on Monday and confirmed the gelding is set to resume in the Group 2 $250,000 Hall Mark Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

"I think Private Eye's barrier trial yesterday was as good as I have ever seen him trial,'' Pride said,

"It was always my plan to run him in the Hall Mark Stakes first-up, he was never going to the All Aged Stakes.

"He's had three barrier trials now and is coming up really well. He's a great fresh horse with five first-up wins from 12 attempts, Nash (Rawiller, jockey) will ride and I'm looking forward to getting him back to the races on Saturday.''

Private Eye will be joined by stablemates King's Secret, Mazu and Kerguelen in the Hall Mark Stakes on the final day of the Sydney autumn carnival.

"It might look like overkill for a Group 3 race but the Sydney carnival is winding up and this race suits my four,'' Pride said.

"Private Eye is getting ready for the Brisbane, Kerguelen is also heading there, but Mazu and King's Secret will probably go to the paddock after Saturday's race.
"This is the first time the brothers, Private Eye and King's Secret, will clash.''

King's Secret, who is out of Private Eye's dam Confidentiality Queen, is a four-year-old gelding who has raced through the grades this season, winning at stakes level in the Canterbury Classic over summer.

Pride gave King's Secret an easy time of it at Monday's Warwick Farm barrier trials session and the sprinter has race fitness on his side going into the Saturday's race.

Mazu, winner of $10.7 million prizemoney already, has going for a third successive Hall Mark Stakes.

"Both of Mazu's wins in this race have been on heavy tracks,'' Pride admitted.
"But he's been going better in the lead-up races this year than he has the last two years. It looks likely he will have to contend with a good track on Saturday but he's in very good form.''

Pride said Kerguelen was forced to miss a scheduled start in the Star Kingdom Stakes but maintains the Godolphin-owned sprinter is going to be hard to beat.

"I really like Kerguelen, he's a ripper,'' Pride said.

"He's one of my favourite horses, I have a lot of time for him. He had a little setback just before the Star Kingdom but he has bounced out of it.''

Pride wants to run talented Headley Grange in a star-studded Group 1 $1.5 million All Aged Stakes (1400m).

Headley Grange comes out of the Doncaster Mile where he ran seventh to Sheza Alibi although Pride said the gelding had excuses.

"Headley Grange is always a bit 'flighty' before a race but he got more worked up than usual before the Doncaster,'' the trainer said. "He's done well since and he's a very genuine horse.''

Meanwhile, Pride revealed In Flight has pulled up well after her Sapphire Stakes win last Saturday and is also likely to be part of the trainer's Brisbane carnival team.

"I'm keeping an eye on Adelaide in case there's a wet track because In Flight is so good in those conditions,'' Pride said.

"But the plan is to take her to Queensland and run her next in the Victory Stakes and then we will look at the good mares races over the carnival.''

Photo: Colin Bull