2025 The Hunter: Joe Pride-trained Coal Crusher ready to fire as Private Eye freshened for The Supernova

Trainer Joe Pride’s classy chestnut Coal Crusher will be racing for the fourth consecutive year at Newcastle’s premier race day and is chasing his second win in the feature, the Group 2 $1 million The Hunter (1300m) on Saturday.

“Coal Crusher has performed three times on Hunter Day,’’ Pride said.

“He won the Benchmark 88 race in 2022, won The Hunter in 2023 then ran third in the race last year.

“The Hunter sets up well for him again on Saturday. He is in prime condition off a lovely run in the Russell Balding Stakes in his final lead-up.’’

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Coal Crusher was third-up from a spell when he finished a game fourth behind outstanding duo Jimmysstar and Lady Shenandoah and his stablemate Mazu in the Russell Balding Stakes at Randwick on November 1.

TAB Fixed Odds price assessors took note of Coal Crusher’s competitive effort in the Randwick sprint which featured eight individual Group 1 winners and have installed Coal Crusher as the $4.50 early favourite for Saturday’s The Hunter.

But Newcastle’s richest race will be typically wide open and Pride himself has some of Coal Crusher’s main rivals with talented trio Accredited ($6), Estadio Mestalla ($8) and Golden Mile ($15) also prominent in early betting.

“We will have three stablemates to keep Coal Crusher honest and may the best horse win,’’ Pride said.

“It’s a good team and they are all at the right end of the (betting) market.

“But this is never an easy race to win. It will be a big field, it’s a handicap with plenty of variables to go in the mix.

“I’m hoping it’s a dry track, which seems likely, and then we will get to see the best version of those four horses.’’

The Hunter has attracted 27 nominations including the brilliant Paul Messara and Leah Gravanich-trained mare Clear Thinking, John O’Shea and Tom Charlton’s boom sprinter-miler Yorkshire, and Bjorn Baker’s multiple Group winners Iowna Merc and Robusto.

Newcastle’s stand-alone meeting has a bumper 173 entries across 10 races including 13 nominations for the Group 3 $250,000 Spring Stakes (1600m) and 22 nominations for the Listed $300,000 The Beauford (2300m).

Meanwhile, Pride has confirmed two of his stable’s three $10 million-plus earners, Ceolwulf ($10,936,795) and Mazu ($10,215,950) have gone for well-earned spells after successful spring campaigns – but the trainer’s leading stakes earner, Private Eye ($12,718,285), could race again next month.

“Private Eye may pop up in a slot race at Pakenham in December,’’ Pride said.

Private Eye, winner of the Group 2 PB Lawrence Stakes and Group 3 Moonga Stakes this spring, is being freshened ahead of the $1 million The Supernova (1400m) at Pakenham on December 20.

Originally published as 2025 The Hunter: Joe Pride-trained Coal Crusher ready to fire as Private Eye freshened for The Supernova