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By Ray Hickson

The path to spring features like the $1.5m TAB Epsom and $7.5m Golden Eagle will become clearer for trainer Joe Pride after his emerging star Private Eye takes on an important mission at Kembla Grange on Saturday.

Trainer Joe Pride (Pic: Bradley Photos)

With a dazzling turn of foot to win the Show County first-up the four-year-old “set the tone” for the spring but Pride said it’s expecting too much to think he’ll simply head south and win the Group 2 $200,000 Chandon Theo Marks Stakes (1300m).

He wouldn’t put it past Private Eye but what happens at Kembla is going to shape what happens next.

“It maybe set a tone for the preparation but in the grand scheme of things this is probably one of the least important races he’s going to have,’’ Pride said.

“It set the tone that he’s come back well but he hasn’t got to his proper distance yet. This Saturday is below his best distance and more a pathway to some bigger goals.”

Private Eye was a $4 chance in the Theo Marks with TAB on Saturday, he’s $8 in the TAB Epsom market and $11 in the Golden Eagle.

Pride said the gelding will have another run before the Group 1 $1.5 TAB Epsom (1600m) on October 2 and that will either be the Group 3 Bill Ritchie (1400m) on Saturday week or Group 2 Shannon Stakes (1500m) a week later.

“I want to see how he behaves on the day because his behaviour at the races is a good clue for me, and how he runs most importantly, and how he pulls up,’’ he said.

“If he was to be really sharp and win again I’d be unlikely to back him up next week in a Bill Ritchie.

“My fear would be Kembla is a hard fast track where they run home ridiculous sectionals off the front like they did down there when it was dry last time. I’m happy that the Epsom isn’t going to be run there.”

Jay Ford retains the ride on Private Eye after he stepped in to replace the injured Brenton Avdulla ahead of the Group 3 Show County (1200m) three weeks ago.

In that race he clocked the fastest last 600m of the meeting (32.75, Punter’s Intelligence).

Pride, a South Sydney Rabbitohs tragic, put the Theo Marks in rugby league terms ahead of his team’s appearance in the NRL finals this weekend.

“This is round 25, this isn’t the semi-final and it’s certainly not a grand final,’’ he said.

“It’s hard not to be impressed by what he’s done in 10 starts so far. For me, looking at him, he’s not the finished product yet. He’s getting closer to it this preparation but I know that improvement is to come and how exciting that is.

“There’s such great races available for horses at his age and where he is at in his preparation and benchmark there’s some real opportunity for him in the spring.”

Private Eye wins at Randwick on August 21

Pride steps out new acquisition Zoushack in the Quayclean Handicap (1200m) on the back of two trials including one behind Ocean Emperor and his stable star Eduardo.

The five-year-old was saved from Gosford on Wednesday to make his local debut at Kembla and Pride said every impression he’s had of Zoushack so far has been positive.

“I thought he went really well in the trial,’’ he said.

“He’s a nice horse and has a bit of quality about him. He’s a beautiful big strong looking son of Zoustar, I was impressed from when I laid my eyes on him.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Kembla Grange meeting