In true Joe Pride fashion, COSMONOVA relished a quick back-up to score a decisive win at Randwick on Saturday.
Seven days after floundering on a wet surface at Rosehill, COSMONOVA found her footing on a Good (4) track, overcoming a three-wide run to win by 0.65 lengths in the 1200m BM78 Handicap.
Regular pilot Reece Jones did manage to find some cover approaching the corner before coming with a well-timed run to overhaul QUEEN OF THE MILE and BONITA QUEEN.
Cosmonova delivers on the seven-day backup 👏@PrideRacing @ProvenTbreds pic.twitter.com/NalpBH7fAc
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) January 25, 2025
Saturday’s result was another important progression in COSMONOVA’s career which now reads five wins and a second from just 10 starts.
Should she ultimately find her way into black-type company, the rewards for her owners could be very handsome, given she is a ZOUSTAR half-sister to Group 1 performers MAGIC TIME and HENLEIN.
Purchased for $220,000 as a yearling from Milburn Creek’s draft at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale, COSMONOVA would now be worth at least double that price given her pedigree and race record.
Pride, who has a phenomenal record with horses backing up, said stakes racing looks a logical target for the 4yo mare.
“She’s now a winner of two Saturday races within her first 10 starts so the next step for her would be to hopefully get a stakes win or placing,” Pride said.
“I think her best chance of doing that will be in the Wenona Girl which is a 1200m Group 3 for mares at Randwick on March 8.
“And to get her there I only want to give her one more run, ideally two weeks beforehand.”
COSMONOVA’s win was nearly the second leg of a Proven Saturday double after TERMAGANT suffered one of the unluckiest defeats you will ever see at the Sunshine Coast.
And had ACCREDITED taken his place in the cancelled Carrington Stakes we could have been celebrating a treble…but it’s never that simple in racing, you have to take the good luck with the bad.
Fortunately, we can still claim 26 winners so far this season and prizemoney exceeding $2.5 million.
