Smoke Bomb, ridden by Jamie Kah, wins at The Valley (Image: Racing Photos/Pat Scala)
Mick Price was once again in the winners' stall early at The Valley, but he was quick to pay tribute to his rider Jamie Kah for continuing the stable’s hot recent run with the grey gelding Smoke Bomb.
Price explained after the soft all-the-way victory that pre-race he and Kah believed the speed would be taken up by Manhattan Spector, but when that did not eventuate, Kah drove Smoke Bomb to the lead and after dictating the tempo to the final turn, sped clear to win easily.
"I think the ride won the race," Price said after Smoke Bomb ($5) beat Alphaville ($12) by one and three quarter lengths with the same margin to Garimpeiro ($8) in third place.
"I did say to Jamie that we thought that Manhattan Spector would come across and lead but I thought she made a very good decision not to wait for Regan Bayliss."
Price and his co-trainer Mick Kent Jnr moved into fifth place in the Melbourne’s premiership race with their 32nd Melbourne win for the season and their 96th in Victoria overall.
WATCH: Smoke Bomb win at The Valley
Kah said she had to be positive out of the gates: "I just had a man up with him (in the barriers) as he was a bit slow to jump last time."
"He jumped perfectly, jumped clean. I stayed one off (the rail) just in case someone wanted to take us on but in the end. He just got it so beautiful, relaxed, and the race was over by the 800 (metre mark)."
Price said he planned to keep the horse going through the winter months.
"He’s a horse to be placed in the right races on softer tracks, and he’s a fun horse to race," Price said.
"I wouldn’t have any grand expectations about running in better races until he proves he should. She (Kah) just dictated the race from up front.
"If we can win these sorts of Saturday races with him then that’d be fantastic. He’s got a big bunch of owners who will be jumping up and down. That’s what it’s all about."
Smoke Bomb’s stablemate Librate ($4) was the easing easily favourite but was never a winning chance, prompting Price to say: "Run number seven, he’s off to the paddock. Trainer mistake. Never mind."