Trainer Mick Price clearly has a big opinion of Worth A Ransom, announcing that he will set the classy colt for the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) after his impressive debut victory in the Laser Electrical Echuca Moama Plate (1200m) at Echuca yesterday.
Stablemate More Rewarding started the race as favourite but it was Worth A Ransom who won like a hotpot, showing an impressive turn of foot to race away from the field on the turn before running on well to score a five and a half length win.
Price was very impressed with the victory and is confident the son of Red Ransom can still improve significantly as he heads towards the 2013 Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.
“The main thing is that he drew away and put himself in a different category to the rest of the field today and I believe there is still good areas of improvement in him,” Price told Racing Victoria.
Price plans to give the two-year-old a brief rest and has a race like the Group 3 H.D.F McNeil Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on August 31 in mind for his Spring Carnival kick-off point.
Worth A Ransom will then be stepped up to a mile in the lead-up to the Caulfield Guineas, which will be run on Saturday 12th October, and Price believes the extra distance will not be an issue.
“He’s a very nice horse, he’s a learner and I think he will get a mile,” the leading trainer said.
“I would like to get a little bit ambitious with him; he’s a lovely big strong 16.1/16.2 hands colt with a big set of lungs on him.”
Price said Worth A Ransom’s victory was particularly well-timed with owner John Hoare currently battling a serious illness.
“John and Betty Hoare bred him and John is very ill in hospital at the moment so it was a great tonic for Betty.”
