Consistent gelding Accredited will get another opportunity to claim a well-earned victory for the campaign when he steps back into Stakes company this Saturday.
The Joe Pride-trained six-year-old is set to line up in the $250,000 Group 3 Festival Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill.
The Proven Thoroughbreds-owned runner heads into the event off a pair of strong runner-up finishes, the latest being a three-quarters-of-a-length defeat to stablemate Coal Crusher in the $1 million The Hunter. Pride expects another competitive showing.
“Coal Crusher is a hard horse to beat at Newcastle and he did a really good job, he never gave up,” Pride said.
“He will be thereabouts and the 1500 metres will suit him.
“He will start in the market as he always does. He is an honest, consistent horse and he is never far away.”
Accredited, a son of All Too Hard, has compiled a record of seven wins and eight placings from 21 career starts, accumulating more than $700,000 in prize money.
His Hunter effort came after another second placing in the $300,000 Choisir Handicap at Randwick on Melbourne Cup Day, where he was run down late by stablemate Estadio Mestalla.
At the end of his previous preparation, he was again narrowly denied when finishing runner-up to Robusto in the Listed Winter Challenge over the same track and distance as the Festival Stakes.
Prior to that, he finished third in the Listed Winter Stakes and now returns on Saturday in search of a breakthrough Stakes victory.
Accredited will be Pride’s lone representative in the Festival Stakes, which has drawn 31 nominations including Robusto, The Kosciuszko winner Clear Thinking, Group 2 Shannon Stakes victor Waterford, rising talent Yorkshire and Queensland Oaks winner You Wahng.
If you’re having a bet on the Festival Stakes, check the latest markets at the best Australian betting sites before placing your wager.