Leading Caulfield trainer Mick Price can see plenty of early speed from rival runners will suit his three emerging stars, Mighty Boss, Grunt and Holy Snow, in the 2018 Group 2 $200,000 Sir John Monash P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Grunt, above, is one of three Mick Price trained runners in the 2018 P.B. Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Jenny Barnes.
Price will saddle up last season’s three year old Group 1 winners Mighty Boss (barrier 7) and Grunt (barrier 6) and Group 2 winner Holy Snow (barrier 5) who have all drawn next to each other in the sixteen horse weight for age field.
On pace runners Jungle Edge, Miss Gunpowder, Hartnell and Showtime will make sure the tempo up front is solid which will suit Price’s three new season four year olds.
“Holy Snow will settle midfield or back while the other two shouldn’t be far off the speed,” Price told the Herald Sun.
Price is pleased with all three in the lead up to their 2018 Spring Carnival opener and is finding it hard to split the trio but admits that Grunt has the most potential.
“They’re all kicking off their spring campaigns and they’ve all shown me they’re going well,” Price said.
“They’ve had good preparations, they’ve worked and trialled against each other with each of them having wins.”
“I think my horses are all weight-for-age horses, and if I could find something to differentiate them is Grunt is a more athletic type and Grunt has more ability — but whether he can get there on that I don’t now.”
Michael Walker will stick with Mighty Boss after riding him all through his Autumn campaign and the Kiwi jockey was aboard the Not A Single Doubt colt when he scored an upset win at $101 in the Group 1 $2m Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield during the 2017 Melbourne Spring Carnival.
Damien Oliver will be on Grunt again in the P.B. Lawrence Stakes after the pair combined for two wins at Flemington during the 2018 Melbourne Autumn Carnival in the Group 3 $150,000 CS Hayes Stakes (1400m) and in the Group 1 $1m Australian Guineas (1600m).
Michael Dee has got a recall to ride Holy Snow after he rode the Fastnet Rock colt to his best win in the Group 2 $200,000 Hyland Race Colours Autumn Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield during the Autumn Carnival.
Grunt has been installed the early $5 favourite for the P.B. Lawrence Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au while Mighty Boss ($11) and Holy Snow ($12) are at double figure odds.
The James Cummings trained Hartnell is in the second line of betting at $6 to make it back to back wins in the P.B. Lawrence Stakes just ahead of the Team Hawkes trained Showtime at $7 and Darren Weir’s pair of Black Heart Bart at $8 and Danon Liberty at $8.50.
