A ‘great clash’ on the cards

Champs on collision course

The Everest winner Think About It and New Zealand’s champion mare Imperatriz could be set for the sprint showdown of the season in the Group 1 $750,000 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) at Randwick next week.

Trainer Joe Pride confirmed Think About It would resume in the Randwick weight-forage race on March 9 after his superstar’s impressive trial at Warwick Farm on Monday.

The Canterbury Stakes has also emerged as an option for connections of Imperatriz, who could be switched to Sydney if she is weighted out of the Group 1 $1.5m Newmarket Handicap (1200m) run at Flemington on the same day.

“I see Imperatriz might come up (to Sydney),’’ Pride said. “I hope they do bring her here, it would be a great clash.’’

David Ellis, owner of Imperatriz, said he is sweating on the release of Newmarket weights next Monday before confirming the mare’s autumn program. It is expected she will be allocated topweight of 58kg, the same weight all-time great Black Caviar shouldered to win the Newmarket in 2011.

Imperatriz, who hasn’t been beaten since being run down by Artorius in the Canterbury Stakes last year, scored her ninth career Group 1 win and her fourth major of the season when she edged out the Pridetrained Private Eye in the Lightning Stakes.

Ellis said Imperatriz had come through that first-up win so well he has decided against his original race program, which was to run her next in the Group 1 William Reid Stakes as five weeks between runs was going to be too long.

This opens the door, albeit slightly, for the clash between Think About It and Imperatriz in the Canterbury Stakes.

The mare could also run in the Group 2 $500,000 Challenge Stakes (1000m) at Randwick on the same day.

TAB Fixed Odds has Think About It as early favourite for the Canterbury Stakes at $2.30 with Imperatriz pressing at $2.50 then Golden Slipper winner Shinzo at $6.

Think About It was having his second barrier trial this preparation on Monday and ran home powerfully under a hold by Sam Clipperton to finish third, a length behind Butch Cassidy and Winning Verse.

Pride said it was conceivable Think About It could go to a new level this autumn despite his phenomenal 2023 in which he had nine consecutive wins including The Everest and dual Group 1 successes in the Kingsford Smith Cup and Stradbroke Handicap before he was spelled.

“Think About It had a tough year last year, he hardly had a break,’’ Pride said.

“He started racing in January and was still going into November. He only had a couple of weeks break the whole time.

“So, he can only be improved by his break over summer and he looks great.”

Pride also revealed Private Eye, his dual Group 1 winner and two-time Everest placegetter, is also likely to miss the Newmarket Handicap and run at Randwick next week.