Trainer Mick Price is wary of the chances of his Victoria Derby winner Tarzino in the Group 1 $750,000 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Tarzino is one of three Mick Price trained 3yos running in the Australian Guineas at Flemington. Photo by Steve Hart.
Price will saddle up three runners in the Group 1 for the three year olds and can’t place him in front of Ready For Victory and his filly Sailing By.
Tarzino was having his first run back after a commanding win in the Group 1 $1.5m AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington during the Spring Carnival when an eye catching fourth to Mahuta in the Group 2 $200,000 Hyland Race Colours Autumn Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 13.
But Price can’t see the Tavistock colt still being fresh enough to have a lot of confidence in his chances of winning over the Flemington 1600m.
“His 1400m form fresh was fantastic,” Price told racing.com.
“Closed in on them really good. He’s second up and I have done a little bit of work with him and also I only have two weeks until the Rosehill Guineas and then another two weeks to the AJC Derby.”
“He is hard fit for the mile I haven’t got a lot of time to get him to Sydney for the Rosehill Guineas and they are both Group 1s obviously.
“So I am crossing fingers and optimistic but realistically good luck.”
“My chances tomorrow over a mile. I think that filly (Sailing By) will run really well and if Ready For Victory turns on his Caulfield Guineas performance he can run really well and I probably can’t place Tarzino in front of them.”
Price is eyeing off the Group 1 $2m BMW Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick on April 2 for Tarzino and will use the Group 1 $600,000 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) at Rosehill on March 19 as his final Derby lead up.
Price has described Tarzino as a really good stayer, as he displayed in his Victoria Derby win, and said that he is a pleasure to train.
“He is a really nice horse to train. He is sound, he’s tough, he loves his work,” Price said.
“One of the girls here schooled him, popped him over the little rubber sixty centimetre jumps. He loves that, he is a real active horse, he is a real beautiful horse to train. He just loves his work, a real racehorse.”
“Really looking forward to Sydney.”
Price is hoping for a good performance from his three Australian Guineas runners and has some positive thought for Sailing By and Ready For Victory.
“Looking forward to my three. Sailing By has a little bit of Mahuta form. She will run really good. Run in the first three will be fantastic,” Price said.
“She is off to Sydney, I think she is an AJC Oaks filly, so that is the way we are going.”
“Because if I worked them together, he is the Derby horse. Just over a mile I have my doubts how he is going to dash up and sprint. But overall he has a great capacity and he is great staying horse but he’s running in a mile race.”
Bookmakers at Ladbrokes.com.au disagree with Price and have Tarzino on the second line of betting for the Australian Guineas at $8 behind New Zealand star Xtravagant who heads the market order at $3.
Price’s other two runners are at long odds with Sailing By marked at $34 and Ready For Victory a $41 chance.
Australian Guineas market order at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3 Xtravagant, $8 Tarzino, $8.50 Palentino, Mahuta, $9 Perfect Reflection, $11 Risque, $17 Tivaci, Jameka, River Wild, $26 Vanburgh, $34 Sovereign Nation, Sailing By, $41 Bon Aurum, Ready For Victory, $61 Snoopy.
