Price's Karaka G1 Duo on Track for Return

Media Release - Monday August 6

Caulfield trainer Mick Price is pleased with the progress of Group One winners Grunt and Mighty Boss after the Karaka purchased duo filled the placings behind stablemate Holy Snow in a 990m trial at Cranbourne on Monday morning.

Grunt gets ready for spring at the trials on MondayBoth Grunt and Mighty Boss are likely to resume in the Gr.2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 18, while Price will plot a path towards the Gr.1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) with Holy Snow.

"Grunt improved from his exhibition gallop he had with Mighty Boss, he was a bit wound down then, but he switched on today," Price said.

"He bounced out of the gates fresh. I thought he improved a hell of a lot since that exhibition gallop.

"I haven't been too hard on him, he's got a long spring in front of him, but today was excellent, I'm very happy there."

Price said Australian Guineas winner Grunt would be set on a path towards the Gr.1 Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m).

The New Zealand-bred son of O'Reilly will look to add to his stallion CV with Flemington Group One targets including the Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) and Turnbull Stakes (2000m) on his program.

"We're going to be a little bit flexible where we run him because we're not sure how he'll go around Moonee Valley," Price said. "We need to take him to the right races with the right prizemoney and target the right Group Ones.

"But I think because he's a good Flemington horse, he'll have a couple of goes there."

Caulfield Guineas winner Mighty Boss will likely only meet his stablemate in the P.B. Lawrence.

"Mighty Boss was good, but Grunt's probably caught up," Price said.

"Mighty Boss is a little bit gross, but they'll kick off in the P.B. Lawrence, and then I think they'll go different paths from there."

Price said the Gr.1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield on October 13 was the principal target for Mighty Boss, but rider Michael Walker felt the entire by Not A Single Doubt would get over 2000m.

Group One winning two-year-old Seabrook finished fourth in her 800m heat and Price said the Tauranga-bred filly would commence in the Gr.3 H.D.F. McNeil Stakes (1200m) at the beginning of next month.

"At this stage she'll have a four-run prep culminating in the One Thousand Guineas," Price said.

Meanwhile, quality four-year-old Hiyaam was a notable scratching at the Cranbourne trials.

" She just had a little bit of a knee three or four day's ago, so we just had to treat that," Price said. "I couldn't bring her here because of the swab rule on that one but she can trial over 1100m at Caulfield tomorrow.

"She's not set for anything early in the spring. Her go will be later in the spring so I'm happy with her. She came flying out of the trotting-ring this morning, so she's feeling great." – NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
Stakes Potential for Cambridge Stud Homebred Mare Frostfair
Luberon’s heroics in the Gr.3 Haunui Farm Counties Bowl (1100m) gave trainer Lance Noble reason to expect something special from her trackwork companion Frostfair in the very next race on the card at Pukekohe on Saturday, and so it proved.
Impressive Debut Win for Churchill 3YO
Just days after Churchill (IRE) sired the second highest priced horse sold at the 2024 NZB Ready to Run Sale when his colt from Bagitol fetched $775,000, a talented three year-old bought from the same sale last year kicked off his career with a super impressive debut win.
Wings Of Song Makes Stunning Return
A star of the carnivals in Tasmania and South Australia, Wings Of Song made a triumphant return from a 30-week break to capture Saturday’s Rosemont Stud Pendant (1400m) at Cranbourne.
Top Sellers at Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale
The Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale had plenty of drama when the dam of Goliath, who runs in the Japan Cup on Sunday, was passed in at €5miliion, but there were other high profile sales including Fastnet Rock's Epsom Oaks winner Qualify.
Royal Winner Bred on Magic Cross
The Fastnet Rock x Galileo cross is a formidable one and has produced this spring’s elite Group I winners Via Sistina (IRE) and Buckaroo (GB) with another lightly raced import bred the same way opening his account at Kembla on Saturday carrying the colours of King Charles and Queen Camilla.
Savabeel Stayer wins G3 Counties Cup
Promising stayer Nereus put his current campaign back on track when he captured an action packed Gr.3 TAB Counties Cup (2100m) on Saturday.
Xtravagant Gelding Nadal Brilliant in Meteorite
Ciaron Maher has a stranglehold on pop-up and slot races and was back in the winner's circle again after the inaugural running of the $1,000,000 The Ladbrokes Meteorite (1200m) at Cranbourne.
Stakes-Winning Debut for $1.3million Snitzel Colt
Exciting Snitzel colt Return To Conquer headed into his raceday debut in Saturday’s Listed Counties Challenge Stakes (1100m) with a big price tag, big reputation and big expectations, and the million-dollar colt produced a Pukekohe performance worthy of the hype.
Another Feature Win for La Crique
La Crique sprouted wings in the Pukekohe straight on Saturday to come from a near-hopeless position and win the Gr.2 Dunstan Horsefeeds Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) in a photo finish.
Luberon Keeps Winning Run Going for Cambridge Stud
Quality mare Luberon put a classy field of sprinters to the sword at Pukekohe on Saturday when she dashed away in the closing stages to score a handsome victory in the Gr.3 Haunui Farm Counties Bowl (1100m).