Joe Pride will give Sophistication his sternest test first-up in the Missile Stakes at Randwick and says the gelding is at the crossroads of his career.The seven-year-old has won seven of his 36 starts but is yet to win in stakes company.He resumes in the Group Three Missile (1200m) at weight-for-age on Saturday in a field which includes Group One winners Danleigh, Sniper's Bullet and Newport as well as rising star Love Conquers All."He's come back really good, his two trials have been spot-on a

Joe Pride will give Sophistication his sternest test first-up in the Missile Stakes at Randwick and says the gelding is at the crossroads of his career.

The seven-year-old has won seven of his 36 starts but is yet to win in stakes company.

He resumes in the Group Three Missile (1200m) at weight-for-age on Saturday in a field which includes Group One winners Danleigh, Sniper's Bullet and Newport as well as rising star Love Conquers All.

"He's come back really good, his two trials have been spot-on and I'm really happy with the horse," Pride said of Sophistication.

"He's at the crossroads. Whether he's good enough to make a Group horse in Sydney is questionable but he needs to be otherwise he's just stuck in no-man's-land.

"I'm prepared to give him a go at it, I like the horse, he's got a good turn of foot so we'll give him a go at some of the better races and see how we go."

Pride said an anticipated heavy track at Randwick on Saturday wouldn't suit Sophistication but said the gelding would take his place in the race.

Sophistication finished third in an 1100m Handicap at Randwick first-up last preparation before winning two races in a row over 1400m.

His preparation ended with a ninth in the Newcastle Newmarket before he finished 12th in the Group Two Ajax Stakes.

"I thought he started his preparation really well last time and won two races but then he trained off," Pride said.

"That was the same as the previous preparation so we are going to work with that this time and put him in better races earlier in his preparation."

Pride is also planning to run Sophistication second-up at weight-for-age in the Group Two Warwick Stakes (1400m) on August 21.