Photo by Racing and Sports
Tuesday, 21 February 2012: More wet weather in Sydney on Monday night was all trainer Joe Pride needed to throw out the idea of a possible clash with Black Caviar in Melbourne this weekend.
Pride lodged an entry for Rain Affair in Saturday's $500,000 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield, a race that is increasingly likely to boast the presence of champion mare Black Caviar, but admitted it was only a fall back option for his boom sprinter.
All it took to keep Rain Affair in Sydney for Saturday's $250,000 Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill was more rain and with the forecast of showers continuing in Sydney through the week Pride sees no reason to take his star away from the conditions that he revels in to take on the world's best on her home track.
Rain Affair, while not challenging Black Caviar's unbeaten sequence of 19 wins, is building an imposing winning streak of some standing as he will be lining up for his ninth successive win in the Apollo Stakes, the majority recorded on rain affected tracks.
"Staying home is an obvious choice," Pride said of the last start Expressway Stakes winner.
"We had more rain last night and more is predicted during the week. I'm not keen to travel with him while we keep getting wet tracks at home.
"I was only considering Melbourne if it was wet."
While a slow to heavy track at Rosehill will be ideal for Rain Affair, the speedster will be racing over 1400m for the first time against the strongest field he has faced in his 10-start career.
"We are going to get a very good guide as to how he runs the trip," Pride said.
Beyond Saturday Pride is considering heading to Melbourne with Rain Affair for the $1 million Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on March 10 but again says the weather will be the deciding factor.
"We will have a look at the weather before making a decision on the Newmarket," Pride said.
