My Psychiatrist shrinks rivals at Rosehill

My Psychiatrist has made a remarkable fightback, climbing off the canvas at Rosehill and putting herself in the frame for a stakes debut.

Trainer Joe Pride scored a race-to-race double after My Psychiatrist stepped out to 2000m for the first time and won the ATC Members Christmas Handicap on Saturday.

Pride said he thought a more generous price than $5 may have been on offer to help him buy Christmas presents.

“I thought I’d get 20-1 this horse today,” Pride said.

“I wasn’t trying to be sneaky but I just couldn’t see how anyone could find her.

“I nearly crashed the car driving home this morning – I missed the seven bucks.”

Pride may be able to get a present of his own if she can handle the one-week back-up in the Listed Christmas Cup (2400m) at Randwick.

“If she doesn’t run 2400 metres I’ve never had a horse that can run 2400 metres,” Pride said.

Racecaller Mitch Manners appeared to be on the money when he said My Psychiatrist had “quickly called it a day approaching the home turn”.

He was wrong.

My Psychiatrist kept punching to win by a long neck from Multifacets, an $8.50 chance who gave 9.5kg to the winner, with Hunter Jack ($5) three-quarters of a length away third.

Apprentice jockey Deanne Panya won on My Psychiatrist less than three hours after she scored an impressive 8-1/4 length victory on Gary Portelli-trained two-year-old at Kembla Grange.

“I couldn’t believe she fought back the way she did,” Panya said of My Psychiatrist.

Pride has trained a host of classy sprinters including Group One winner Terravista and Sugar Bay Leonard may be his latest prospect after winning the TAB Rewards Handicap (1100m).

After being backed into $3.80 favouritism, Sugar Bay Leonard nabbed Top Striker ($7) on the line with Awasita ($12) filling the minor placing.

Sugar Bay Leonard, who is part-owned by Sky Racing commentator and form analyst Ron Dufficy, has now won three from four during his preparation.

“He looks like on type as nice as any horse I’ve ever trained,” Pride said.

Sugar Bay Leonard is likely to head for a spell.