2024 Russell Balding Stakes: Trainer Joe Pride plots Bella Nipotina’s downfall with Private Eye, Mazu

Trainer Joe Pride is taking a heavy-handed approach to beating The Everest winner Bella Nipotina in Saturday’s $3 million Russell Balding Stakes (1300m) with Private Eye, Mazu and Coal Crusher.

Trainer Joe Pride is taking a heavy-handed approach to beating The Everest winner Bella Nipotina in Saturday’s $3 million Russell Balding Stakes (1300m) with Private Eye, Mazu and Coal Crusher.

Bella Nipotina is a $2.40 favourite to compete the Sydney sprint double but Pride is confident his talented trio will take plenty of beating at Rosehill Gardens.

Private Eye beat Mazu to win this race two years ago when it was known as the Giga Kick Stakes while the two-time Everest placegetter was gunned down on the line by Bella Nipotina last year.

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“Bella Nipotina just ran Private Eye down in this race last year so I would love to think he could keep up from the gate and put himself in striking distance because he hasn’t done that this preparation and it’s cost him,” Pride said.

“He is only getting beaten just over a length in his past two starts but he is just giving them a big head start.

“Hopefully the good draw enables him to be a bit closer and he will enjoy the tempo.”

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Mazu hasn’t won this preparation but has been racing well after finishing within a length of the winner, placing in both The Shorts and Premiere Stakes.

The son of Maurice was fifth in the Group 3 Sydney Stakes but Pride believes he had excuses.

“Mazu just lost his shoe the other day and I reckon it affected him because he wasn’t stretching out well that last furlong,” he said.

“I think he is in great shape. The 1300m is interesting for him, he’s run well in the race in the past.

“He will be thereabouts and is a winning chance.”

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Coal Crusher may be the outsider of Pride’s trio at $11 but beat his stablemates home last start with a determined second behind Overpass in the Sydney Stakes.

“Coal Crusher ran fourth in this race last year and didn’t have his blinkers on so gets them on a run early here because he gets an opportunity that maybe he could run dop three,” Pride said.

“The blinkers make a fair bit of interest with him.”

Jay Ford rides Private Eye, Nash Rawiller is on Mazu while Coal Crusher is piloted by Chad Schofield.

Originally published as 2024 Russell Balding Stakes: Trainer Joe Pride plots Bella Nipotina’s downfall with Private Eye, Mazu