Untapped young colt Longma will be given the chance to qualify for a 2013 Caulfield Cup bid this Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival according to trainer Mick Price.
Price is leaning towards running the Sebring three-year-old first-up in the $220,000 Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on September 7 on Makybe Diva Stakes Day.
The Danehill Stakes 2013 will be just the second career start of Longma who debuted at Werribee on July 17.
It was a cracking debut too with the horse relishing the Heavy (8) track conditions to win the Ballarat Gold Rush Plate by eight lengths over Ladonia.
That blistering run showed Price he had a smart juvenile on his hands and now the Caulfield-based horseman is hoping they can come on as a three-year-old.
Their performance in the Danehill Stakes will then determine whether Longma qualifies prize money wise to make the cut for their long term aim, the $1 million Group 1 The BECK Caulfield Guineas (1600m) on October 12.
“He’s had a couple of weeks off since his win at Werribee and he’ll probably resume in the Danehill and then go towards the Caulfield Guineas Prelude and possibly the Caulfield Guineas,” Price told Racing Victoria.
The $175,000 Group 3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m) runs at Caulfield Racecourse on September 29.
Another three-year-old Price is weighing up spring options for is then Red Ransom colt Worth A Ransom.
On July 8 they won on debuted by five and a half lengths at Echuca over 1200m.
Things went amiss when they were stepped up in class and distance 12 days later however when they ran a distant ninth to Late Charge in the Inglis 2YO Plate (1400m) at Flemington.
While Longma is still Price’s number one Guineas hope, he hasn’t given up on Worth A Ransom either and thinks both can be competitive up to 1400m.
“If they had of both raced at Werribee I think Longma would’ve finished in front of Worth A Ransom but the trick with both horses will be once they get out past 1400 metres,” he said.
“I’m confident with them both up to 1400, I think Longma is a quicker horse and there’s always the option with a horse like him if he doesn’t get 1600 that we could freshen him up and target a race like the Coolmore Stud Stakes.”
The $500,000 Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) runs on the opening day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington on Victoria Derby Day, November 2.
2013 Caulfield Guineas nominations meanwhile close later today and will be published right here at Races.com.au.
Other spring majors for which early entries will be released this morning include the Thousand Guineas for the three-year-old fillies, the Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate.
Updated markets for these upcoming Group 1’s will then be available online at bookmaker.com.au making now the time to sign-up with them!
