Improving gelding ICONIC TREASURE provided the perfect entrée to a bumper Saturday of racing with his third career win from just six starts.
The recognisable trainer-jockey combination of Joe Pride and Jay Ford reached a century of wins courtesy of ICONIC TREASURE’s victory at Goulburn only nine days ago and the trio combined again at Newcastle on Tuesday to make it 101 wins.
It became apparent early in the provincial meeting that the outside section of the track was the superior going and Ford expertly found the fast lane on ICONIC TREASURE to take out the 1200m BM64 Handicap by 0.8 lengths.
Carrying an impost of 60kg, the son of NICCONI sent favourite backers home on a winning note, stopping the clock in 1:10.17.
It’s another iconic win for Iconic Treasure and @PrideRacing as the 5 year old takes out the last at Newcastle! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/bO6Jv7oWGn
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 3, 2024
“Obviously today was a different set of circumstances with the outside fence being the place where we needed to be,” Ford said.
“But it worked out well as we had first chance of getting to the outside and he progressed nicely under riding.
“He did want to follow the inside rail, but it always felt like the race was in our control. It was nice to see him adapt and win under a different set of circumstances today.”
ICONIC TREASURE has certainly been a slow burn for his ownership group as a suspensory ligament injury significantly delayed the start to his career.
However, the now 5yo is starting to make up for lost time and looks destined for metropolitan company having built a record that now reads three wins and two placings from six starts – his only unplaced run coming first-up at Wyong in August when finishing a luckless fifth of seven.
ICONIC TREASURE was purchased for $95,000 from Middlebrook Valley Lodge at the 2021 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
The Pride and Ford combination will be front and centre again at Randwick on Saturday for PRIVATE EYE’s anticipated return to action in the $1 million Group 2 Concorde Stakes (1000m). Coincidentally, some of PRIVATE EYE’s owners also have an interest in ICONIC TREASURE.
Proven’s other Saturday runners include STOCKMAN (Randwick), FLYING BANDIT & TRAPELLA (Hawkesbury), & NAVAL TRADER (DOOMBEN).
