Mick Price refers to The Everest (1200m) as the “Ka Ying” Stakes, when the $20 million showpiece is mentioned, but the Victorian trainer is not shying away from the challenge of taking on the Hong Kong superstar with what he hopes will be a group 1 double act this weekend.
asserted
he → refer → superstar
Price and co-trainer Michael Kent jnr look set to have $30 million Coolmore buy Guest House in the stud’s Everest slot on October 17, provided the Golden Slipper winner fires again on Saturday in the group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill.
asserted
winner → look → Rosehill
The three-year-old Home Affairs colt was at his brutal best first-up in the San Domenico Stakes four weeks ago, breaking the 1100m track record with a bold rails run under Zac Lloyd.
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colt → break → Lloyd
He was $2.50 (TAB) favourite for the Golden Rose and on the third line of betting for the Everest at $11, behind defending champion Ka Ying Rising ($1.35) and likely Godolphin pick Tempted ($8).
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He → defend → Rising
“It’s three weeks between the race on Saturday and the Everest, and that’s beautiful,” Price said.
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Price → ’ → Saturday
“It’s a good formula, Yes Yes Yes did it.”
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It → ’ → it
Yes Yes Yes was second to Bivouac in the Golden Rose before becoming the first three-year-old Everest winner in 2019.
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Yes → become → 2019
While Guest House is close to a certainty for the October 17 race at Randwick, Price and Kent could have another contender for a slot, if Charm Stone goes back to back in the group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Sunday.
uncertain
Stone → have → Sunday
The mare, now six, claimed the race at Moonee Valley last year from a nice draw to attract Everest interest, only for connections to go down a different path.
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connections → claim → path
She will race first-up on Saturday after time out following throat surgery and Price said she “was going super”.
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she → race → surgery
“What happens if she does win, is there a slot there?” he said of the Everest, which has only Ninja and Headwall so far confirmed to take on Ka Ying Rising in the 12-horse sprint at Randwick.
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Ninja → happen → Randwick
“I ran her in the Sangster [Stakes], and on the Tuesday before we ran her, she had an entrapped epiglottis in her throat.
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she → run → throat
“She’s got beat a head, and since then I’ve had that fixed and she’s brilliant.”
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she → beat → head
Price was confident, too, about the condition of Guest House, after he skipped the Run To The Rose (1200m).
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he → skip → Rose
“I’m happy with the four weeks between runs because he got to be jarry after the San Domenico,” he said.
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he → ’m → Domenico
“It was four weeks into the Slipper and this is four weeks, but that information hasn’t all of a sudden come up upon me, so I’ve been able to train for it.
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I → come → it
“My feel then was that if he had a balanced up, went home and ran in the first three first up, I’d be happy, but he obviously did what he did.
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he → have → what
I thought, well, that’s him.
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that → think → ?
Race day, he’s probably a bit fitter and better than sometimes I think he is.
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he → ’ → ?
“But he’s there to win.
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he → ’ → ?
He’s had a good prep.
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He → have → prep
I’ve got no excuses with him.
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I → get → him
“He was 567 kilos into the Slipper, so he was trained up.
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he → train → Slipper
He’s 580kg now, and there’s not an ounce of fat on him.”
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He → ’ → him
Price’s only concern was how the strong-running colt handles the 1400m tempo.
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colt → run → tempo
“I’ve drawn well [in five] and I think the race will work out OK with Plagiarism there going forward, but the 1400-metres tempo is a new tempo for that horse,” he said.
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he → draw → horse
“I don’t have any preconceived instructions to tell our man, Zac, but I just say if you ride your horse with a bit of feel, which he does, then go out there with an open mind because at 1400, you would think they will sit up at some point ...
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they → have → point
in a 1400-metre tempo, when they drop anchor, I’m hoping he’s OK with it.
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he → drop → it
“Everyone’s of the opinion that he needs high pressure in running, but I think he’ll get 1400.
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he → ’ → 1400
And I think if the race works out good for him, he’s a strong winning chance, especially at set weights.”
Price won the 2022 Golden Rose with Jacquinot, which finished fifth on a soft track in the Everest.
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which → think → Everest
“Jacquinot won because he was a tough horse and was well-ridden on the day.
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he → win → day
This horse will win more on ability,” he said.
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he → win → ability
“It’s got very good ability and I think the thing leading into the Blue Diamond, and before we came to Sydney, he was sort of learning.
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he → get → Sydney
His brain wasn’t very professional as a baby, even though he won at Cranbourne, but then something went wrong and something went wrong in running, but he’s pretty much got it right now.
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he → win → it
“And I think Zac rides him confidently, so I’d be surprised if he wasn’t on the bridle in running, and hopefully there’s a bit of pace on.”
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he → think → pace
The Aporia
