Joe Pride believes Takeover Target's Doomben 1200 metre track record could be broken on Saturday when his front runner Black Prince faces a showdown with speedster Burdekin Blues.The pair will clash in the Group Three George Moore Stakes and with the likes of noted leaders Zero Rock and Rasmussen also nominated, Pride envisages a hot early speed.Now-retired champion Takeover Target set the benchmark time of 1:07.88s to win the corresponding race in 2005 when it was known as the Summer Stakes."If
Joe Pride believes Takeover Target's Doomben 1200 metre track record could be broken on Saturday when his front runner Black Prince faces a showdown with speedster Burdekin Blues.
The pair will clash in the Group Three George Moore Stakes and with the likes of noted leaders Zero Rock and Rasmussen also nominated, Pride envisages a hot early speed.
Now-retired champion Takeover Target set the benchmark time of 1:07.88s to win the corresponding race in 2005 when it was known as the Summer Stakes.
"If it's a good track on Saturday the track record might be in trouble," Pride said.
Black Prince and Burdekin Blues have gone head-to-head once before in the Starlight Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill in March.
The pair jousted for the lead before Black Prince eventually shook off the Queenslander, only to be nabbed by backmarker The Jackal in the final bounds.
Pride figures the duo will again bring each other undone if they attack one another for the front on Saturday and says the barrier draw will be crucial.
"Burdekin Blues is in the race so we don't want a bad alley or he'll lead us and we don't really want to be led," Pride said.
"If we draw outside him, we'll probably hand up the lead and we're hoping he'll do the same if he draws outside us.
"Not that you expect any favours, but last time we raced him in Sydney, Burdekin Blues took us on and we fought him off but then The Jackal came home and caught us."
Black Prince will be having his second consecutive start in Brisbane after posting a brilliant all-the-way win over 1200 metres at Eagle Farm on November 21 when he overcame barrier 16 in the 17-horse field.
Pride elected to take him back home to Sydney after the race and said the gelding had come through the run well and had no trouble handling the trip away.
He will be one of three likely runners for the in-form trainer at Doomben along with Schibello in the Class 6 Plate (1200m) and the enigmatic Dubai To Sydney in the Class 6 Hcp (1615m).
The latter has also been entered for a couple of races at Rosehill on Saturday but Pride is favouring a trip away after Dubai To Sydney's flop on the weekend when he beat just one runner home.
Peter Robl, who will be in Brisbane to ride Soiled in the George Moore Stakes, has been booked to partner Dubai To Sydney and Schibello while Jim Byrne will stick with Black Prince after winning on him last start.