It’s not what Pride envisioned, but he is confident Ceolwulf will produce his best on Saturday.

“They were probably going to clash three times, and they’ve ended up only clashing once so far,” Pride said.

“It wasn’t the ideal pathway, but he’s had sufficient racing to have him at his peak for the race that we always wanted to end up in, which is the main thing.

“You’re going to miss races, missing the ones along the way is better than missing your final.

“He’s in the race we wanted to be in. He’s had a great prep, in that I feel like he’s got plenty of Ks in his legs and he’s set to peak on Saturday.”

The contrasting fortunes continued at the Queen Elizabeth barrier draw. Via Sistina, a $1.90 Sportsbet favourite, drew gate one. Ceolwulf ($15) will start from the outside barrier in 15.

“We wasted some good gates in races he couldn’t really win because they were too short for him,” Pride said.

“We finally get the right race and that’s the draw, but look, it looks a pretty genuinely run race. Another thing he’s been looking for, he loves Randwick. That’s where he won his two group 1s.

“There will be wide open spaces, wide draw, it might actually play into his hands because he does like galloping room, and he’ll certainly get plenty of that on Saturday.”

Ceolwulf was expected to dominate the postponed Neville Sellwood Stakes last start, but he was far from brilliant. However, Pride has taken positives from the narrow win on heavy ground.

“He toughed it out,” he said. “Up 500 metres, the race was meant to be on the back up, but it ended up on the Tuesday, just a few little things all combined that probably do not make it the ideal assignment.

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“But like good horses do, he found a way to get the job done, in a slowly run race. He’s taken a heap of improvement out of it, so I’m just looking forward to Saturday.

“The horse is spot on and I can’t wait to see him at 2000m at Randwick against these good horses.”

Also on the program, Pride has Sounds Of Heaven ($91) and last-start Emancipation Stakes winner Lekvarte ($41) in the group 1 Queen Of The Turf (1600m).

“Lekvarte is really good at the Randwick mile, so she gets another opportunity at it here, and she’s in the Chairman’s Sale after this, so we’ll see how she goes. It may be her last start, depending on who buys her,” he said.

“Sounds Of Heaven had a nice tick over trial on Monday, and I thought she trialled really well.

“We’ll be positive on her. We’ll go forward and be up in the first couple. I can see her running really well. I’m very happy with her.”

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