Trainer Mick Price has revealed that talented colts Jabali and Cornrow will return to the races in the 2014 Vain Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on August 16.
Jabali and Cornrow finished in the placings behind Earthquake in the 2014 Blue Diamond Stakes. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Neither Cornrow nor Jabali were able to breakthrough for a maiden race win during their two-year-old careers, but both were able to record placings at Group 1 level; with Jabali second in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) and Cornrow third in both the Blue Diamond Stakes and Group 1 Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m).
Price will not be giving either colt an easy kill during the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival and they will both follow a path towards the Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens on September 13 and the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) on October 11 after running in the Vain Stakes next month.
“The Golden Rose and the Caulfield Guineas are the two main races I want to run them in to try and make stallions out of them both,” Price told Racing Victoria.
“They’ll both be entered for Cox Plate as well.
“Jabali is probably a bit of a quicker horse than Cornrow at this stage which is what we saw in the Blue Diamond, but they’ve both made physical improvement.
“Cornrow is a big, strong animal now and has put on around 30 kilos.
“He’ll trial next Tuesday and I’m allowing for him to have two trials before he goes to the races.”
Cornrow made his racing debut with a third place finish in the Inglis Banner (1000m) at Moonee Valley on October 26 last year and started his autumn campaign with a second place finish in the Listed Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) at Caulfield on January 25.
He was no match for Rubick in the Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) at Caulfield on February 8, but he produced a big run in the Blue Diamond Stakes to finish third at long odds.
The Duporth colt finished third in the Group 2 Todman Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 22 and failed to fire in the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) before returning to his best form with a tough third in the Sires Produce Stakes.
Jabali started his career with a second place finish in the Listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on October 5 last year and he proved himself a consistent juvenile with second place finishes in the Blue Diamond Prelude and Blue Diamond Stakes.
Price was keen to send Jabali to the spelling paddock after his Blue Diamond Stakes run, but he stayed in work and was unable to perform in both the Todman Stakes and Golden Slipper.
Jabali is currently available at odds of $26 in the 2014 Golden Rose and Caulfield Guineas betting markets with Ladbrokes Australia, while Cornrow is at Golden Rose odds of $41 and is $26 to win the Caulfield Guineas.
