Lekvarte is set to relish Randwick mile return

[Wandering Eyes]

Joe Pride says Lekvarte(NZ) (Reliable Man) is a different mare over the Randwick mile and her record backs it up.

Class gelding Private Eye might be the top seed of Joe Pride’s three runners in the $2 million The Ingham, but he has cautioned punters not to discount the outsider of his trio.

A last start winner of the Festival Stakes, Private Eye is a $9 chance while stablemates Estadio Mestalla ($14) and Lekvarte ($23) are at double-figure odds.

Lekavarte has an outstanding record over the Randwick mile, where she has won four of her six starts including the Group 3 Angst Stakes in October.

She then went to Melbourne where she wasn’t disgraced in the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m), finishing sixth to Atishu(NZ) (Savabeel), before an unplaced effort in The Gong (1600m) where the backmarker was disadvantaged in a leader dominated race.

“It really didn’t suit her. Thankfully she has come through it really well and the three weeks between runs for her is lovely. She appreciates that,” Pride said.

“She will be under-rated there on Saturday and she will run really well because she seems to be able to do this, she goes elsewhere and then whenever she comes back to the Randwick mile you see her at her best again.

“I wouldn’t underestimate her at all on Saturday.”

While the bulk of Lekvarte’s higher-level form has been in fillies and mares’ grade, Pride says she’s had limited opportunities to show her wares in open company, especially at stakes level.

“Going through the grades she definitely beat the boys,” he said.

“But to be fair to her, she has done most of her racing against the mares, as they do, so I’m not sure how much opportunity she has had to do that.

“She is a genuine Group Two level mare so I don’t see that as being a problem for her.”

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