By Ray Hickson
The last time Terravista contested a Listed race his trainer Joe Pride was confident he’d found the perfect race to notch up another win.
That day, at Flemington in November 2016, he ran into Redzel, who was just at the start of his rise to the nation’s top spriner.
While no race can be taken for granted, Pride has a similar view about the Listed $150,000 Arrowfield Stud Ortensia Stakes (1100m) at Scone on Saturday.
“Once I saw the noms it was a no brainer really,’’ Pride said.
“Go around in that race in Brisbane (Doomben 10,000) and be a 40 or 50-1 pop or obviously right in the market here. It was an easy decision.’’
Terravista’s last win was just over a year ago, the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning, and since that narrow defeat to Redzel he’s contested seven Group 1s and a Group 2.
That Group 2 was the eight-year-old’s latest start and he ran into Redzel once again in the Challenge Stakes over the Randwick 1000m.
While he ran sixth, Punters Intel data showed he ran the fastest last 600m of the race in 31.88 and, remarkably, broke 11 seconds for his final 200m (10.94).
Terravista's barrier trial at Warwick Farm on May 4
Pride said he takes Terravista, $4.60 second favourite with TAB, to Scone in great shape having been freshened up since the Challenge and given an easy trial just over a week ago.
“He’s a funny old horse, you never know what you’ve got until you turn up on race day but he looks in good order,’’ he said.
“He’s only lightly raced and I feel like he’s still got something to offer.
“He’s 100 per cent sound and for that reason they are a long time retired and I think we can enjoy him a little bit longer.’’
For a horse of Terravista’s credentials – two Group 1 wins, several Group 1 placings and multiple other stakes victories – Pride said he’s very well placed in the Ortensia even with 61kg.
The gelding has won 11 of his 31 starts and $2.66 million – his 11 rivals combined have won just under $3.5 million.
Pride is not so concerned about drawing out, particularly being the final race of 16 in the two-day carnival, and just hope he has every chance.
“While he has a lot of weight it’s not what he’s carry in a normal Listed race so he’s pretty well in,’’ Pride said.
“We’re hopeful of getting a run midfield or something like that.’’
Pride is expecting stablemate Passage Of Time to improve in the Listed $150,000 Yarraman Park Luskin Star Stakes (1300m) after an uncharacteristic first-up failure at Hawkesbury.
The four-year-old started $6 when he ran ninth behind Glenall in the Gold Rush but is a $19 chance at Scone on the back of that performance.
“He was a bit plain first-up but he gets a set of blinkers for the first time. That’ll help him,’’ Pride said.
“He didn’t really enjoy being ridden off the pace on a firm track. He’ll be able to get up close to the pace and that’s where he races best.’’
All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's meeting at Scone