Saturday’s Memsie Stakes may mark the season’s first Group One meeting in Victoria, but co-trainer Mick Price is content with the decision to take a backseat with two of the stable’s main spring hopefuls.
Boom horse Ayrton (NZ) (Iffraaj) worked strongly at Caulfield on Tuesday morning to confirm his return to racing, as did stablemate Annavisto (NZ) (Reliable Man), but neither will undergo severe first-up tests as Price and training partner Michael Kent Jnr look to time their runs into the Spring Carnival.
Instead of attempting a first-up Group One against some veteran weight-for-age performers, Ayrton goes into the 1400-metre handicap while Annavisto will bypass the Gr.3 Cockram Stakes in favour of a softer spring take-off.
Price indicated some weeks ago that he intended missing the Memsie first-up and he said he is happy with that path into the spring following Ayrton’s final piece of work at Caulfield on Tuesday morning.
“He worked on the course proper and he worked super,” Price reported. “He’s very good in himself.
“He just needs to draw a gate and hopefully he can kick-off with a win. It would be nice to see him win but he’s definitely going to improve.
“He’s probably fit enough and good enough to win but if he runs well and gets rolled that’s fine. He’s great but I haven’t gunned him to win first-up.”
The Gr.1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on September 18 may also be bypassed by Ayrton with a view to having him peak in Sydney.
“The Rupert Clarke is a race that always gets a full field and it’s often won by a 1200-metre horse, so we might go to the 1400-metre Listed race the week before at Flemington,” Price said.
“Then we’re off to Sydney for either the Epsom (October 2) or Silver Eagle (October 9) and then ultimately end up in The Golden Eagle (October 30).”
Price said he will miss the Cockram with smart mare Annavisto as the stable looks ahead into the spring for better chances of securing a valuable Group-race victory.
“She’ll be hard to beat in the 1400-metre race for mares,” Price said. “At the moment, she’s a Listed race winner but I wouldn’t be surprised if she gets through and wins a Group Two this spring.
“I am not sure about a Group One yet, but we won’t be dismissing those opportunities for her.”
Price said the strength and depth of the Cockram means the restricted mares race makes sense for her first-up.
“I look at that race (Cockram) every year and it’s a culmination of mares that are racing well and mares that are coming back to race well,” he said. “It’s always a good race that race.
“I just want to run her where she can win. A Benchmark 90 for mares, she can go there and travel and there’s no pressure on her and she’ll be hard to beat.”
Joining Ayrton in a Golden Eagle tilt is the impressive I’m Thunderstruck (NZ) (Shocking), who has returned from a short break.
“He worked last Saturday morning the reverse way and he looked good,” Price said.
“I’ve been doing a little reverse work with him, but we bought him off a reverse trial from New Zealand.
“I think he’s pretty good. He worked reverse on the steeple (grass) this morning and Jamie Kah rode him.
“I am going to kick him off at Sandown in the (Listed) Testa Rossa (Sandown on September 26) over 1300 metres, which will be ideal for him and then he’ll make his way to Sydney from there and he might end up in the Silver Eagle too.”
