April 25 - When Australian racehorse trainer Joe Pride talks about his superb charge Vision And Power, he gives the impression that he still cannot believe how well the gelding has run since December, never mind that he has a good shot at winning today's coveted AUD$500,000 AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

If Vision And Power wins today's Gr 1 weight-for-age feature race at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, his third huge race victory in recent months, he'll more than likely make the short list for the prestigious Australian Horse of the Year, an honor that any trainer worth his salt in Australia wants under his belt.

When Pride first took on Vision And Power, he admits that he viewed the gelding as an honest and tough runner, but did not set his expectations too high. So when the gelding won the Listed Parramatta Cup in February this year, Pride was pleasantly surprised and completely unprepared for what was to come.

Pride, along with Vision And Power's owner Nick Moraitis, decided to enter the thoroughbred in the prestigious AUD$400,000 George Ryder Stakes (Gr 1) at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney earlier this month, and was blown away when he ran home in first place, putting himself firmly on the racing map.

Next up was last weekend's equally prestigious and highly lucrative AUD$2 million Doncaster Mile, where yet again Vision And Power delivered a knock-out performance to earn himself a well-deserved victory. His win ensured a shot at a coveted hat trick if he pulls off a win in the AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Said Pride, 'I cannot explain his dramatic step up in form this Autumn. I'm not doing anything different with him, I'm training him much the same as I have in the past. Then we tried to get him up to 2400m, but this time we have kept him fresher and to the shorter distances and here he has emerged a dual Gr 1 winner.

'I just can't believe he could even be in the mix for Horse of the Year - it's just amazing. His stable name is Chief and he has certainly lived up to it,' he said. Since December, Vision And Power has earned his owner over AUD$1.7 million in prize money, and as the second favorite in today's race, is worth a wager.

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2012/04/02 09:27:54 PM