Trainer Mick Price with Mystery Love after their Bendigo Guineas win (Image: Racing Photos)
Trainer Mick Price believes unbeaten mare Mystery Love and last-start winner Tavisan can win this Saturday but is cautioning against backing Lucky For All at The Valley.
Price made his comments from The Valley after watching Mystery Love and Lucky For All, who both resuming this weekend, gallop on Tuesday morning.
Mystery Love resumes after winning her third race, the Listed Bendigo Guineas (1400m) in March and the daughter of Eurozone has matured during her break.
“She looks really well, I think she’s grown a bit,” Price said.
“She worked by herself, Damien Oliver rode her, he’ll ride her too on Saturday in the 1200-metre mares' race.
“She’s going beautifully, it would be no surprise to see her win, she’s fit enough, she trialed well and she looks great.”
One horse Price is wary of endorsing too strongly ahead of their resumption is enigmatic gelding Lucky For All.
The five year-old last raced in November for former trainer Darren Weir. Price says the horse has come back in good order ahead of a spring campaign that will culminate with the $500,000 Listed Ballarat Cup (2000m) on November 23.
Lucky For All has had four wins from eleven starts but was disappointing when beaten favourite at his past two races – a benchmark 90 handicap (2000m) at Flemington on Stakes Day and last year's $350,000 Listed Ballarat Cup (2200m).
Lucky For All has shown a tendency to lug inwards when placed under full pressure but went 'straight as a gun barrel' on the outside of Danny O'Brien's last start Flemington winner Royal Ace at The Valley on Tuesday morning.
“He’s been a fair while down at our Warrnambool stable with Matty Williams, he’s done a good job with him down the beach and he did a bit of dressage work with the horse," Price said.
“Raceday pressure might bring a little quirkiness out in him but he looks fantastic, he’s going great.
"He will need the run, I don’t think he can win here. His fat end of the prep is three or four starts time so we haven’t been gassing him in gallops, the Ballarat Cup is worth a lot of money now so that’s probably the plan.”
Lucky For All, a son of Tavistock, will resume over 1600 metres at The Valley with regular rider Jye McNeil in the open handicap. However, should he not gain entry into that race he'll instead contest the benchmark 78 handicap with apprentice Lewis German in the saddle.
Meanwhile, last start winner Tavisan continues his campaign at The Valley in Saturday's $140,000 Listed Chandler Macleod Stakes (1200m) but he didn’t join his stablemates for a look around having already been well-acquainted with track.
The four-year-old was an impressive winner at The Valley on August 24 at benchmark 90 level and Price believes he can handle the rise into stakes company.
“He’ll get in with 54kg, I think he’s some sort of black type horse, depends how the race can be run,” Price said.
"Because he had so many starts as a colt and not many wins, we’ve just sort of placed him to advantage, like benchmark 90 races and all that.
“(Ben) Melham just took him straight to the front the other day because he said there’s nothing doing in this race pace wise but I think he can be adaptable.
"Hopefully we ride him off the speed depending on gates. He’s still got some nice races in him that horse, I wouldn’t sell him short.”