For some time now, Joe Pride has defied a limited budget and limited numbers to succeed in the cut-throat world of horse training.
The last month is a perfect example of how Pride and his team have developed an uncanny ability to get big results with mostly unfashionable misfits.
Here are the sires of the stable’s winners in that period (which mind you includes 3 stakes winners and 5 Saturday metro winners): MONGOLIAN FALCON ($3k service fee), HEADWATER ($6k service fee), GALILEO GOLD ($12k service fee), EXOSPHERE ($6k service fee), SHALAA ($18k service fee), ADELAIDE ($10k service fee), FLYING ARTIE ($10k service fee) & ALL TOO HARD ($25k service fee).
Not exactly the SNITZEL ($225k service fee), I AM INVINCIBLE ($200k service fee) or ZOUSTAR ($250k service fee) offspring you see churned out on a regular basis by the mega stables.
Let’s take a deeper look.
ESTADIO MESTALLA (GALILEO GOLD) was a cast off from Chris Waller and has since earned almost $600k since joining Pride, becoming the first and only stakes winner for his sire in Australia!
Then there is HEADLEY GRANGE (EXOSPHERE). By a discarded Darley stallion, he is the only stakes winner on his pedigree page going back four generations!
STORM THE RAMPARTS (HEADWATER) was a mere $85,000 yearling and is now the sixth highest earner for his sire in Australia.
Even PRIVATE EYE’s younger half brother KING’S SECRET (SHALAA) was undervalued at the yearling sales, perhaps due to his size, but has almost quadrupled his purchase price in just eight starts.
ACCREDITED (ALL TOO HARD) fetched the same $100,000 price in the sale ring as KING’S SECRET and can go past the half-million-dollar barrier if successful in Saturday’s Listed Winter Challenge (1500m).
Incredibly, Pride is now level with Ciaron Maher on the Sydney Trainers’ Premiership, despite having almost half the number of starters.
The sires of Maher’s winners in the past month? Not surprisingly they include I AM INVINCIBLE, SNITZEL, WRITTEN TYCOON, DEEP FIELD, JUSTIFY, DUNDEEL, TASSORT & SO YOU THINK.
The quality of Proven stock purchased with Pride has been raised significantly in recent years, particularly in 2025 with the acquisition of yearlings by I AM INVINCIBLE, ZOUSTAR, TOO DARN HOT, SO YOU THINK, TORONADO, SHAMUS AWARD & ALMANZOR.
And there are still opportunities to get involved in the aforementioned sires:
I AM INVINCIBLE x FRANCALETTA filly
TORONADO x SCARLET NIGHTS filly