Joe Pride has declared the Sydney carnival his spring priority as he prepares to welcome back a potential Group One contender on Saturday.Pride will saddle up Neeson in the Show County Quality at Warwick Farm - the first race in a four-start Sydney campaign aimed at delivering Epsom Handicap glory.Neeson was one of five Pride-trained horses to showcase their spring potential during a barrier trial session involving stakes-class horses at Warwick Farm on Monday.The former Queenslander ran second

Joe Pride has declared the Sydney carnival his spring priority as he prepares to welcome back a potential Group One contender on Saturday.

Pride will saddle up Neeson in the Show County Quality at Warwick Farm - the first race in a four-start Sydney campaign aimed at delivering Epsom Handicap glory.

Neeson was one of five Pride-trained horses to showcase their spring potential during a barrier trial session involving stakes-class horses at Warwick Farm on Monday.

The former Queenslander ran second in an 800-metre heat to McClintock, convincing Pride he is right to step out on Saturday as well as being on target to figure deeper into the spring.

"In a strong crop of three-year-olds (last season) he showed he was among the better ones," Pride said.

"Hopefully he can take the next step and measure up in a race like the Epsom."

Neeson hasn't raced he thumped a Listed field in the Hawkesbury Guineas on May 1.

His 4-1/2-length demolition job came after a narrow defeat by the highly-regarded Star Of Octagonal in the Group Three South Pacific Classic at Randwick.

Plans for Neeson - and other Pride stars such as Patronyme, De Lightning Ridge and recent stable addition Tickets - beyond the Sydney carnival are still undecided.

"History shows it is hard to keep your horses going after Sydney," Pride said.

"You can't do it all. For my horses to be considered for Melbourne they have to be going good in Sydney and still be on the rise."

Peter Robl, who rode Neeson in the Hawkesbury Guineas, retains the mount in the Show County, a $100,000 Listed race in which the gelding has been given 53.5kg.

Robl is retained to ride by Patinack Farm but remains keenly sought after by outside stables.

So much so he will renew an association on Saturday with Dealer Principal, the Anthony Cummings-trained galloper who provided the journeyman jockey with his first Group One success in the 2008 Rosehill Guineas.

Dealer Principal will resume at weight-for-age in a star-studded Warwick Stakes field.

The six-year-old, whose career has been interrupted by injury, will be racing for the first time since resuming with a win over 1300 metres at Randwick in January.

Robl is also on stand-by to ride either Curtana or Miss Gai Flyer for Melbourne trainer Peter Moody in Saturday's Silver Shadow Stakes.