Caulfield trainer Mick Price is hoping for a change of luck for his three year old Eximius when he lines up in the Group 2 $350,000 Sky Racing Queensland Guineas (1400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Eximius needs a change of luck in the Queensland Guineas. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Eximius has been well beaten at three runs since winning at Sandown in early April and Price is getting frustrated with the run of bad luck.
“I’m getting sick of it but he’s had three legitimate excuses at his past three starts,” Price said..
“He’s a horse who needs a big track and top of the ground conditions.”
“Brad Rawiller got off him last time and said nothing could have won with the run he had.
“He got stuck five wide, couldn’t go back and couldn’t go forward, so we forget that.
“Hawkesbury the start before nothing went right.
“We’re all tired of it, including the owners, it wears them out.”
Price believes the bigger Eagle Farm track will suit the Exceed And Excel three year old who has won three from eleven starts including a win at Flemington during Melbourne Cup week in the Listed $150,000 Hilton Hotels Stakes (1400m).
Eximius then went on to finish fourth to Tatra in the Group 2 $350,000 Sportingbet Sandown Guineas (1600m) at Sandown on November 17.
Stablemate Al Aneed has also been nominated for the Queensland Guineas as well as the Group 2 $175,000 Magic Millions QTC Cup (1300m) with Price keen to split the two three year olds up.
Al Aneed also had a tough run in the Group 3 $125,000 Grinders Coffee Fred Best Classic (1350m) at Doomben on May 18 before finishing fourteenth with Eximius finishing slightly in front in eleventh spot.
But Al Aneed might not get a run in Price’s preferred race, the QTC Cup with the More Than Ready colt at twenty-seven in the ballot and only sixteen in the Guineas.
The winner of both the Queensland Guineas and the QTC Cup will be exempt from the ballot for the Group 1 $1.36m AAMI Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm the following Saturday.
