Trainer Mick Price will push ahead with a start in the Group 1 $400,000 Hacer Group William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on March 21 with his top race mare Samaready.
Samaready is to return to Moonee Valley for the William Reid Stakes. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Price has reported that Samaready has pulled up in good condition after her disappointing effort to finish sixth, five and a half lengths behind her stablemate Lankan Rupee, in last Saturday’s Group 1 $1m Lexus Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington.
“She’s pulled up perfectly,” Price told RSN.
“I wanted her scoped after the race and she scoped up clean.
“She was perfectly ridden and I don’t know, she was a no show and maybe sixth was the best she could have done.
“She’s perfectly sound, she looks great and she left a double handful of feed this morning.”
Craig Newitt was equally disappointed with the lacklustre run and said after having a perfect run she found nothing at the finish and was concerned that everything wasn’t well.
“Well that hurt!” Newitt said after the Newmarket Handicap on Saturday.
“She had a great run, we followed him (Lankan Rupee). It was the same as Moonee Valley when nothing was right with her, I’m sure they’ll find something wrong.”
Newitt was referring to Samaready’s eighth to Buffering in the Group 1 $1m Sportingbet Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley in the Spring when she pulled up with a small amount of blood in her lungs which forced her to have short break.
Samaready then returned to the race track with an eye catching third to Snitzerland in the Group 1 $500,000 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) at Flemington on February 15 and was then sent out the $4 favourite for the Newmarket Handicap.
Price is keen to give Samaready another chance and will return to Moonee Valley where she recorded one of her two Group 1 wins in last Spring’s $450,000 Programmed Moir Stakes (1200m).
Samaready’s other Group 1 victory was in the 2012 $1m Patinack Farm Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.
“We’re thinking we’ll go to the William Reid with her in the hope that she’ll be better around a corner, maybe the straight six just dragged the sprint out of her I don’t know.”
Price is still undecided if his two stable stars will clash again in the William Reid Stakes and will make a decision soon if Lankan Rupee goes to Moonee Valley or has a short break before heading to Sydney for the Group 1 $2.5m Darley T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 12.
“He’s sound and he’s pulled up perfectly,” Price said.
“He’s trotted up good and he ate up well.
“I did have a plan to give him seven to ten days in the paddock, which I’m probably going to stick to, but it is tempting to go to the William Reid with him before he goes to Sydney.”
Samaready is also in the mix for the T J Smith Stakes and is currently at $9 with Ladbrokes.com.au with Lankan Rupee posted as a $5.50 chance.
The Chris Waller trained Zoustar is the $3.60 favourite in front of Not Listenin’tome from the Team Hawkes stable while three time Group 1 winner Buffering is marked at $6.50.
