Caulfield’s Mick Price welcomes back into work two talented youngsters this week with Cornrow and Jabali preparing for their Group 1 Sydney and Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival targets.

Price is looking forward to a big spring season, confident he can get the two rising three-year-olds up to Group 1 winning form despite both still retaining maiden status.

He’s named the $1 million Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) in Sydney in September and the $1 million Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) in Melbourne the next month for both Exceed And Excel colt Jabali and Duport colt Cornrow.

“They’ll both go in to work tomorrow morning to be set for the Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) and the Caulfield Guineas (1600m),” Price told Racing Victoria on Sunday.

“They’ll go in to pre-training tomorrow.”

Both promising gallopers failed to win during this year’s autumn carnival.

Both also failed badly when Cornrow finished second last (15^th) and Jabali slightly better in 11^th in the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) behind Mossfun at Rosehill in early April.

Cornrow however had better luck both before and after their Slipper disaster.

They ran third to Earthquake in Melbourne’s Blue Diamond Stakes and third again in their latest run behind Peggy Jean in the Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) in the mud at Randwick on April 12 when under pressure before the bend.

Jabali meanwhile was runner-up in the Blue Diamond in an impressive effort but didn’t go to the Sires’ Produce, instead being sent to the paddock post-Slipper where they struggled over the final 200m.

It was a frustrating juvenile season for both from Price’s perspective then, and something he’s hoping to atone for in the spring to help improve their value at stud.

“They’re nice horses and we’re chasing Group 1’s with them,” he said.

“Sun Bloodstock International part-own Jabali so they want a Group 1 colt, and Cornrow is part owned by Kitchwin Hills Stud, so they’re looking for a Group 1 colt also.

“It’s frustrating that they haven’t won a race, considering they’ve earned about half a million between them.

“[But] both horses have done very well, especially Cornrow.”

Price is also preparing his Horse of the Year contender Lankan Rupee for pre-training next week ahead of the spring and autumn where the $2.85 million earning Redoute’s Choice gelding will look to add to their three Group 1 wins.

“Lankan Rupee will go in to pre-training the week after,” Price said.

“He will come back for the spring, and then hopefully for the autumn after that.”

Another possible spring contender for the stable is then More Than Ready mare Samaready.

A decision of whether the lightly-raced Moir Stakes winner will come back from her spelling in the Hunter Valley to race, or to retire to the breeding barn, left up to the managing owner.

“That will be up to Peter Orton,” Price said.

“She’s at Vinery Stud in New South Wales spelling, and he said if she thrives she’ll have another season.

“He’ll have a look at her to see whether they want to breed with her now or not.

“She’s only had 12 starts, is sound and I think she still has good racing in front of her. True, she doesn’t handle heavy tracks properly, but she’s brave when she is in her zone.

“I’d like to go on and have another year with her, but that will be up to Peter Orton I guess.”

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