Rare trip to Melbourne for top Sydney trainer.
Joe Pride's name makes a rare off-season appearance in a Melbourne form guide this week with the Sydney trainer sending Accredited south for Saturday's Sandown meeting.
The All Too Hard gelding will make his Victorian debut in the $150,000 Senet Gambling Law Experts Handicap (1400m).
Pride has experienced some of his career highs in Melbourne, preparing Terravista and Sacred Choice to win three Group 1 races between them at Flemington, but Accredited will be just his sixth Victorian starter this season and first in a non-Black Type race.
The Warwick Farm horseman said Saturday's benchmark 100 contest came up at the right time for Accredited, whose only start this campaign realised a fifth placing, beaten just half-a-length, in the Listed Takeover Target Stakes (1200m) at Gosford on May 10.
"I take one or two each if we find the right race for them, it's not hard to do – it's only 10 hours down the road – and the horses handle it pretty well," Pride said.
"I'm happy to give him his opportunity, he's a nice horse.
"(At) 1400 metres, he showed last preparation that is probably his best trip and he's off a short let-up.
"I thought he was excellent in the Takeover Target and he'll be very hard to beat Saturday."
Pride had just six Victorian starters last season, winning with The Black Cloud at Flemington, while his only Melbourne winner from four starters the season prior was Private Eye's Group 2 Gilgai Stakes victory in October 2022.
Both Private Eye and The Black Cloud carried the Proven Thoroughbreds colours, as Accredited does, and the black and lime could make further appearances in Melbourne this campaign if the current weather conditions persist up the eastern seaboard.
"There are options for him in three states, but he needs dry tracks so we'll go where we need to," Pride said.
"If it's wet here in Sydney and Brisbane and it stays dry down there, we might take him down the highway a couple of times, but I haven't really got a direct plan in that way."
Accredited is $4.20 second favourite behind Elouyou ($3.50) for Saturday's event, in which he will carry 55kg with Jamie Melham to ride.
