Mick Price has Ready For Victory and Prince Of Brooklyn set to run in the 2016 Manfred Stakes and the leading Melbourne trainer is happy with both horses ahead of their return to racing.
Ready For Victory is one of two Mick Price-trained horses in the 2016 Manfred Stakes. Photo by: Adrienne Bicknell
Ready For Victory stamped himself as a horse to follow when he finished an erratic fourth behind Vancouver in the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) last year, but he has failed to record a race win since.
The More Than Ready colt was beaten as favourite on a number of occasions during the 2015 Spring Racing Carnival and he produced a particularly poor effort in the Group 3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m) at Caulfield on September 26, but he returned to his best form with a third place finish behind Press Statement in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) at the same venue two weeks later.
Price admits that Ready For Victory needs to start putting the race wins on the board, but he is still happy with the three-year-old and he confirmed that he will return to the races in the Manfred Stakes before he presses on to the Group 3 CS Hayes Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on February 20 and the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at the same venue on March 5.
“He has only won one race those are the facts,” Price told Racing Ahead.
“His third in the Caulfield Guineas was good and we have a good line on him now.
“During the spring he did put a lazy run in there at one point, but I thought Bossy got the best out of him in the Caulfield Guineas.
“He will go 1200, 1400 and then into the Australian Guineas.”
Prince Of Brooklyn started his racing career with two impressive wins as a two-year-old and plenty was expected of him during his spring preparation, but he failed to fire in the Group 3 McNeil Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on August 29 and Listed Pin & Win Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on September 12 and was sent to the spelling paddock.
Price said that Prince Of Brooklyn never really came up last preparation and he is hopeful that he can produce an improved performance when he returns to the races in the Manfred Stakes.
“I am going to follow the same path with Prince Of Brooklyn,” Price said.
“I didn’t really think he came up last prep, he got a bit jarry and a bit sour, so we tipped him out.
“He is lovely and fresh now and he gets no excuses.
“He is still a colt, which is in the back of my mind with him, but he has had a really good prep.”
Ready For Victory is currently available at 2016 Australian Guineas odds of $26 with Ladbrokes, while Prince Of Brooklyn is priced at $51 to take out the Group 1 event.
