Trainer Mick Price has revealed that talented colts Cornrow and Jabali will both set for the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) and Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) during the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival.

Jabali and Cornrow finished second and third behind Earthquake in the 2014 Blue Diamond Stakes. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

Jabali and Cornrow both performed strongly at the highest level of racing during their autumn preparations, rounding out the placings behind Earthquake in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 22, but neither was able to breakthrough for their maiden race wins.

Jabali finished second in the Listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (1000m) and Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) before finishing second in the Blue Diamond Stakes, but failed to fire in the Group 2 Todman Stakes (1200m) or Group 1 Golden Slipper (1400m), while Cornrow bounced back from a poor performance in the Golden Slipper to finish third behind Peggy Jean and Scratch Me Lucky in the Group 1 Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on April 12.

Price admits that he was disappointed that neither horse was able to score a race win as a two-year-old, but told Racing Victoria that he believes that both horses are capable of recording Group 1 victories as three-year-olds.

“They’ll both go in to work tomorrow morning to be set for the Group 1 Golden Rose and the Caulfield Guineas,” Price said.

“They’re nice horses and we’re chasing Group 1’s with them.

“Sun Bloodstock International part-own Jabali so they want a Group 1 colt, and Cornrow is part owned by Kitchwin Hills Stud, so they’re looking for a Group 1 colt also.

“It’s frustrating that they haven’t won a race, considering they’ve earned about half a million between them.

“Both horses have done very well, especially Cornow, and they’ll go in to pre-training tomorrow.”

Cornrow, whose sire Duporth won the Golden Rose in 2008, has finished in the placings in five of his seven career starts and has accumulated $267,850 for connections, while Jabali scored three placings for five starts and picked up $231,6000 in prizemoney.

Price is chasing his first win in the Thousand Guineas after finishing third with Kempinsky in the 2003 edition of the race and will have a starter in the Golden Rose Stakes for just the second time after finishing ninth with Porsched in 2009.