Trainer Joe Pride saddles up three 2025 Sydney Stakes contenders including The Everest emergency Golden Mile

Golden Mile has impressed trainer Joe Pride ahead of his first start for the stable in Saturday’s Group 3 Sydney Stakes ... but he’s ready to roll for the day’s feature if Godolphin needs him.

Mitch Cohen

2 min read

October 16, 2025 - 2:08PM

Horse Racing

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Golden Mile wouldn’t look out of place in The Everest, Coal Crusher is flying under the radar and Dragonstone is a run short.

That’s trainer Joe Pride’s opinion of his Group 3 $2 million Sydney Stakes (1200m) trio heading into Saturday’s The Everest consolation.

Pride’s sprinter Mazu is one of the outsiders of The Everest while Golden Mile is one of four emergencies for the richest race on turf.

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“I think if something was to go wrong with Tempted, they (Godolphin) are not going to be picking any other horse,” Pride said.

“I was happy with him to be made an emergency because he wouldn’t be out of place in the race.”

Golden Mile at his brilliant best in the G2 Theo Marks!@nashhot and @JamesCummings88 make it a back-to-back feature double. pic.twitter.com/WsRWHRRRn1
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 9, 2023

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With Adam Hyeronimus aboard, Golden Mile ($8) is having his first start for Pride since Godolphin moved to a public training model with the gelding finishing third in the Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup during the winter.

Given the stable nickname “Sumo”, Golden Mile has made an immediate impression.

“He is a big gross horse but I’ve done a fair bit with him and he is coming off a winter preparation which always helps,” Pride said.

“He has been a horse that I instantly liked and was a horse I competed against a heap of times and didn’t necessarily think much of him but when he arrived he’s such a character.

“He goes around the track whinnying out, I think he still thinks he’s a colt.”

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Coal Crusher ($26) ran fifth first-up in a Warwick Farm Benchmark 100 and is second-up in the Sydney Stakes while Dragonstone ($26) is close to a month between runs.

“I think the one people aren’t looking at is Coal Crusher but his run first-up was super and gets the blinkers straight back on,” Pride said.

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“Dragonstone is probably a run short.

“He wants the sting out and we missed a run because I didn’t want to run him on another hard track but I am at the point now where I have to run him again.”

Originally published as Trainer Joe Pride saddles up three 2025 Sydney Stakes contenders including The Everest emergency Golden Mile