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By Ray Hickson

When Dragonstone walked into Joe Pride’s stable the trainer wasn’t as taken aback as he would have been had his former trainer Mark Newnham not given a heads up that the talented sprinter isn’t as imposing as a lot of horses.

Trainer Joe Pride (Pic: Bradley Photos)

Newnham used the word ‘diminutive’ a few times to describe the four-year-old and Pride would say that’s on the money – but experience has told him that stature isn’t everything as he heads into his debut for the trainer in the SCCF James Tedesco Outreach Program Handicap (1100m).

Pride has three runners in the sprint at Randwick with Titanium Power and Dehorned Unicorn alongside the new recruit.

“Mark warned me about him, that he’s very small,’’ Pride said.

“He reminds me of, and I can only hope he’s half as good, Destiny’s Kiss. I know he’s not a stayer but he’s the same size.

“Think About It is a bit the same, if he walked into someone’s barn they wouldn’t be super impressed but it’s about the engine and (Dragonstone) has obviously got one of those.”

Dragonstone graduated to stakes company last winter winning the Listed June Stakes at Randwick and he ended his time with Newnham with three placings on end, the latest a close second to Remarque in February.

In his lone trial for the new yard he raced handier than we’re used to seeing the gelding, who was $5.50 with TAB on Thursday, but Pride said he won’t be overthinking the horse.

“He probably runs up to 1200m, I’m not going to change that, he looks a genuine horse and hopefully now he is a bit older he finds a bit of improvement,’’ he said.

“He went up in between horses (in the trial) which I’m told is not the way to ride him. He’s very much a clear air horse so we’ll be looking to get him to the outside of horses so he can finish right off.”

In Pride’s estimation, the sprint appears a “fast race” and he said that will suit his trio.

With Titanium Power, coming back from a third in the Luskin Star Stakes (1300m), Pride is trying something different.

After Zac Lloyd’s claim, the five-year-old will carry a similar weight to his fresh effort in the Hawkesbury Rush, over the same distance as Saturday’s race, where he ran eighth behind Malkovich.

“He was in an 1100m first-up without his blinkers on and it’s a very different set up now having had two runs and he’s got his blinkers on,’’ he said.

“He’ll be better in this than he was first-up. I think he will run well, the only trouble is he’s a horse that needs the fence and I don’t know how he’s going to find the fence from 11.

“If they go quick enough, he’s pretty quick himself, he might be able to get across. It’s not a target race for him but it’s an interesting race for him because I’ve prepared him differently than what I have in the past.”

Dehorned Unicorn also travelled up to Scone and made his stakes debut with a fourth in the Listed Ortensia Stakes (1100m) behind Athelric and Pride said with hindsight he’d not going to be too hard on the performance which didn’t quite match his expectation.

His last win was at Randwick over the 1100m with 59.5kg on New Year’s Eve and he’ll drop 7kg on that.

“I was a touch disappointed but maybe I’m too harsh on him first go in stakes grade. He wasn’t far away,’’ he said.

“He was racing super last preparation and some of his best runs were at Randwick. He goes back to Randwick and gets a fast run race, I would have thought he’d be a very good chance.”

On the subject of horses receiving weight relief, Pride said Zoushack won’t know himself in the Precise Fire Handicap (1400m) with just 53.5kg.

Dragonstone's trial at Warwick Farm on May 9

The hardy six-year-old carried 7kg more in his first-up third in a small field on a heavy track back on April 29 and boasts an unbeaten 1400m record.

“He’s a genuine honest horse and he’ll run well. It’s a long time since I’ve had him in a race with a really light weight,’’ Pride said.

“I was happy with his first-up run, he’s not suited on heavy, he’ll get the sting out which is ideal.

“He won last prep with 64.5kg so 53.5kg is going to feel pretty light to him.”

Among Pride’s other Randwick runners he said he expects Lady Brook to run well first-up though she’s only had one lead in trial due to a foot abscess when she was preparing to race in March; Redwood Shadow will want further but will hit the line; and says Silent Raindrops should run her usual honest race.

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