Terravista On Song For The Shorts

A sparkling barrier trial from Terravista has reinforced trainer Joe Pride's opinion he has a Group One winning sprinter on his hands.

Hugh Bowman had Terravista under a strong hold in Friday's 807m heat at Warwick Farm and he flashed home for a close second to the Jason Coyle-trained Dettori.

A half brother to the Pride-trained Group One winner Tiger Tees, Terravista runs in the Group Two Shorts (1100m) at Randwick on Saturday along with stablemate Rain Affair.

"I have never seen a horse trial better than Terravista," Pride said.

"I got goose bumps.

"The plan is the Shorts and then the Premiere Stakes and if he wins those then we could take on the VRC Sprint at Flemington."

Pride has always had a big opinion of Terravista who has won seven of his 10 starts including the Group Three Show County (1200m) on August 23 at his first attempt on a heavy track.

"If he gets beaten in the Shorts then we will aim him at the Salinger on Derby day but he won't run in both the Salinger and the Sprint," Pride said.

"They are only a week apart and he is not a back-up horse."

Multiple Group winner Rain Affair had a similar winning record to Terravista early in his career but was out of form during the autumn.

Pride has persevered with the seven-year-old who put in a good first-up run when third in the Concorde Stakes (1000m) on September 6.

A natural leader, Rain Affair was claimed late by Wouldn't It Be Nice and Nuclear Class.

The Paul Perry-trained Wouldn't It Be Nice is also likely to run in the Shorts.

Pride has no firm plans for Galaxy winner Tiger Tees unless the rain returns.

Like Rain Affair, Tiger Tees likes to roll along in front and is at his best on rain-affected tracks.

He has had three starts this spring for a Group Three win in the Auries Star at Flemington followed by victory in the weight-for-age Warwick Stakes.

Last time out in the Tramway Stakes on September 6, Tiger Tees was run down by Lucia Valentina, a win which elevated the Kris Lees-trained mare in markets for the feature spring races in Melbourne.