The Hawkesbury-based jockey, who made the five-and-a-half-hour trek to ride at Gundagai on Friday, is content having full books of chances at lower levels but is also keen to make the most of big-race opportunities, like the one on Golden Mile, in town.
Van Overmeire got the call to ride Golden Mile ($23) for Joe Pride in the Hunter, where the Warwick Farm trainer has four chances. His others are Coal Crusher ($4.40), Accredited ($6.50) and Estadio Mestalla ($15).
Golden Mile is the only group 1 winner in the race, but he has had two disappointing runs for the stable since coming from Godolphin’s operation.
Van Overmeire hoped a handy draw in six and the addition of blinkers would help bring the best out of the six-year-old, which has won more than $4.5 million.
“If he can bounce back to his past form, especially his winter form, I think he’s in the mix and probably better than a $23 chance,” he said.
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“And Joe is very good in getting these horses to bounce back. He’s got a great record with those sorts of horses, so I’ve got no doubt those last couple of runs have been just a process to get him to show what Joe sees at home.”
Pride said it wasn’t D-day yet for Golden Mile, “but it’s getting close”.
“He’s been at stud, he’s come back, he’s been gelded … he’s had a pretty full life, and I hope that hasn’t taken its toll on him because everything I see at home suggests that it hasn’t and I’ve got a racehorse right there ready to go,” Pride said.
“Two runs back now, he’s a big, gross boy. His stable name is Sumo, that’s what he built like. So Sumo needed a couple of runs, as you would imagine, and he’s had them now, so I’d like to think he can go on with it.
“He’s got to show that he’s still got it there and I can’t imagine he’ll have an excuse on Saturday.”
Coal Crusher a Brave choice
Joe Pride nominated Coal Crusher as his best chance in The Hunter on Saturday, but he was quick to add: “If I don’t say that, Brave will shoot me”.
Pride’s nineteen-year-old son, Brave, is a part-owner of Coal Crusher and pays special attention to him around the stables.
Brave Pride after Coal Crusher won the 2023 The Hunter.Credit: Getty
Coal Crusher gave Brave, who is aiming to one day join his father in a training partnership, a magic moment two years ago when he won The Hunter.
The winner of more than $2.2 million has not tasted victory since but Brave believed the eight-year-old was building fourth-up to another peak effort on Hunter day. He was third last year when Briasa won.
“He gave six kilos to Briasa last year, and that was off a gut-busting run two weeks before that, so he was probably a touch unlucky, but he always gives a sight around there,” he said.
“He’s going really good, he’s performing really well in training and it always seems like he’s a better horse in the spring.
“He was really good last start off a tough run. It’s a big drop in grade, he’s shown his class, he’s better weighted this year and he’ll give it a good shake.”
Regardless of the result, Brave was already thrilled with the efforts of Coal Crusher, which was just the second horse he was given a share in.
“I was only just starting to work in the stables and they gave me a share in Coal Crusher,” he said. “We thought he’d win a midweeker or two, but we certainly didn’t expect what he’s done.
Joe Pride with jockey Tyler Schiller after Coal Crusher’s win.Credit: Getty Images
“It was an amazing moment two years ago and it was probably my favourite moment on a racetrack. I think if he won on Saturday, it would be just as good.
“They are no slouches, the stablemates. Accredited is a very honest horse and Estadio is racing in career-best form, and I think Golden Mile, with the blinkers back on, could give a sight.
“It’s certainly not an easy race, but I’m obviously cheering for Coal Crusher out of that four.”
Joe expected Coal Crusher to lead or be close to it and prove “very hard to beat”.
He thought Accredited would gain a soft run behind the pace but said he “probably needs to find a length or two to be in the finish” off his runner-up effort last start to Estadio Mestalla, which may find it hard on Saturday from a wide draw. He said Estadio Mestalla’s main target is next week’s $1 million The Gong (1600m) at Kembla.
