Samaready has raced at Group 1 level in her last five starts, but trainer Mick Price has revealed that he may be be looking for easier races with the talented mare during the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival.
Samaready is on track to return to the races during the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Samaready recorded a dominant four lengths victory over a strong field in the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley last year and looked as though she would be the sprinter to fill the void left by equine superstar Black Caviar, but the daughter of More Than Ready failed to perform at her best during the 2014 Melbourne Festival Of Racing.
The four-year-old resumed with a promising third behind Snitzerland and Shamexpress in the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on February 15, but she finished a disappointing sixth in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at the same venue on March 8 and beat home just a single runner in the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on March 21.
Price confirmed last month that Samaready would race on during the spring and, while he is not ruling out giving the mare a chance to score her third win at Group 1 level, he told Racing Ahead that she may be set for races at a lower level during her spring preparation.
“Samaready came in Monday and she had a quiet week.” Price said.
“She looks great.
“She has won two Group 1s and as a mare I don’t think we need to go chasing many of the top line races.
“If she can go to set weights and penalties and just keep her winning that would be good and it would be good for her record as a broodmare.
“We are not going to get too ambitious with her.
“There will be Group 1’s there for her no doubt, but we will place her a little bit differently and she will be fine.”
While Price will not be chasing Group 1 victories with Samaready, he will still have plenty of chances to take out the featured sprinting events during the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival.
Price said that Lankan Rupee remains on track to resume in the Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley on September 6 and will likely run in the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1200m), Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) and Group 1 VRC Sprint Classic (1200m) before heading to Hong Kong for the International Sprint.
“He is great and he is on target,” Price said.
“He is bright and bouncy every morning and he is the same horse that he was last prep.
“It is all going to plan at the moment.”
