Private Eye turned a weather-detour into a statement spring opener, rolling straight to the front and controlling the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) before kicking clear late.
The eight-year-old, partnered by Nash Rawiller, was vetted at the gates after striking his head but never looked troubled once the lids flew, stretching away to defeat Desert Lightning by two lengths with Here To Shock another half-length away in third.
The win arrived a week after the washed-out Group 2 Missile Stakes forced Joe Pride to abandon Sydney plans and truck his stable star south. Rawiller, who first won this race in 2006 on Pompeii Ruler, judged the tempo perfectly and eased off the rail in the straight before asking for an effort that promptly settled the contest.
It was Private Eye’s 13th interstate trip and his second start of 2025, a light campaign Pride believes is keeping the gelding sharp.
On a Soft 6, Private Eye stopped the clock at 1:25.96 and nudged career earnings beyond $12.3 million—his 13th win and seventh at black-type level.
Pride flagged the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) back at Caulfield on August 30 as a live option, with track conditions to dictate whether they return to Melbourne or pivot to Sydney.
It wasn’t just the manner of victory but the authority: a seasoned sprinter-miler absorbing the shove of the early lead, relaxing mid-race, then lengthening when challenged.
2025 Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes Replay – Private Eye
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