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2026 03 18

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It’s fitting that Price’s second Manikato Stakes winner Charm Stone is the horse he will try and win his first Group 1 Ladbrokes William Reid Stakes with.

Mick Price: The Valley of Dreams

Mick Price knows Caulfield like the back of his hand, he trained at The Heath for 25 years and picked up his fair share of majors at the track along the way.Today, The Valley puts it’s spin on Caulfield, another track where Price hasn’t been left out of the winners stall when it comes to the top level.Price remembers when Craig Newitt wrote on the back of a shoebox to show him how Extreme Choice could overcome the outside gate to win a Moir Stakes, just as that duo had done three years earlier with Samaready in the same race.His 2014 Manikato Stakes win with Lankan Rupee still goes down as one of the most memorable of all time with a wall of eight runners across the track – 0.8 lengths between them. Price recalls hearing Rob Heathcoire at a function the day before saying how Buffering was going to bring his superstar undone - aggravating Price to give Newitt the riding instructions to lead at all costs.It’s fitting that Price’s second Manikato Stakes winner Charm Stone is the horse he will try and win his first Group 1 Ladbrokes William Reid Stakes with.&nbsp;Charm Stone may have surprised punters with her 30/1 first-up romp in the Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes in October, but Price is using a similar formula to strike while the mare is fresh to grab the $1 million prize on Saturday.&nbsp;&nbsp;For a daughter of I Am Invincible who cost $1.55 million as a yearling, the five-year-old is looking to build on now $2.5 million in racetrack earnings from just 14 starts and an eye-watering broodmare value.He describes the mare as a lover of routine, a massive eater and a horse who likes being left alone on her carboard shavings, due to allergies.“We’ve kept her back to 1200 metres which has worked winning the Group 1 in Adelaide and at Moonee Valley,” Price explained.“She’s a Group 1 mare so she has to go the Group 1 races.“The price tag can’t dictate how you train them.“She has got type, pedigree, by a proven stallion, a good family off a good farm and if you want them you have to go into the bidding war.“In her case, gee I hate to think what she’s worth now on type, race performance and pedigree – she’s superb.”While Price says to win on Saturday in the $1 million Group 1 Ladbrokes William Reid Stakes with Charm Stone would be ‘sensational’, there’s one race he can’t help but keep chasing.A race both Pompeii Ruler and I’m Thunderstruck almost delivered for him.“I don’t go back and watch replays or keep trophies I just say one day I’ll win a Cox Plate,” he professed.

The Valley will once again play host to a leg of the National Pony Racing Series, with the Victorian event set to take place on 3 Point Motors William Reid Stakes Day, Saturday 22 March.A collaboration between Pony Club Australia and Thoroughbred Industry Careers (TIC), the series is designed to educate young riders on careers in the racing and breeding industry, giving them a taste of professional competition on major racedays.The series features six race meetings across Australia, culminating in the national finals in June. Before the Victorian leg, Ballarat hosted a Jumpstart weekend, where participants received riding instruction, horse health education, career insights, and rider fitness training.&nbsp;In preparation for their big moment on 3 Point Motors William Reid Stakes Day, competitors will also take part in a training day at The Valley to familiarise themselves with the track.On Saturday, two pony races will be held for state finalists aged 9 to 15. The first, over 450m at 11:30 am, is for ponies not exceeding 12.2hh, while the second, over 700m, is for ponies not exceeding 14hh. That event will take place following Race 3 on the card at 1:30 pm.&nbsp;Moonee Valley Racing Club has enjoyed its association with TIC and Pony Club Australia, providing young riders with the opportunity to gain experience on a major racing stage. The Valley hosted a leg of the first National Pony Racing Series in 2023, and last year on 3 Point Motors William Reid Stakes Day held a Shetland Pony Race.With the next generation of riders set to take centre stage once again, The Valley looks forward to another thrilling chapter in this growing series.

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