The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained Immortal Love won both of his starts last season and successfully resumed in Saturday’s G3 HDF. McNeil S. at the expense of a competitive line-up.
Price is keen to follow a program toward the G1 Caulfield Guineas with the gelding and he's a trainer who won’t worry in the event of a wet spring.
“You add 3l to his form if it does rain. I would say he will go into the Listed Exford Plate in two weeks and then the G3 Guineas Prelude and into the G1 Caulfield Guineas," he said. “It certainly wasn’t the plan to be so far back today, but he did a great job."
Immortal Love won on debut at Echuca and then brought that form to town when successful at Victoria’s racing headquarters in May before he was turned out.
“In his second start at Flemington he was quite dominant there on a wet track. He’s a gelding and uncomplicated and it’s great for Peter Creighton, who bred him,” Price said.
United we stand
Creighton operates under his United Syndications banner and also raced Immortal Love’s dam Loveyamadly (Bel Esprit), who was successful on six occasions, including the Listed Abell S. and was runner up in the G3 Geoffrey Bellmaine S.
A half-sister to the dual Group 3 winner Lite’n In My Veins (Henrythenavigator {USA}), all three of her foals to race have been winners and she is due to foal to Rubick this year.
Immortal Love settled well back in the field on Saturday and came with a storming finish to keep his perfect record intact.
“He was terrific. He began okay and there was really good speed so I got back a bit further than I wanted to be,” rider Craig Newitt said. "It was a top-class field, that. He'll definitely measure up all the way through spring. He's got a bright future.
“I was a bit worried about the firmer ground, but he picked up and kept surging for me. He’s definitely looking for seven furlongs or a mile the way he raced today so he’s in for a good preparation.”
“I was a bit worried about the firmer ground, but he picked up and kept surging for me.” – Craig Newitt
Minor placegetters Flying Award (Shamus Award) and Tagaloa (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) are also heading to the Caulfield Guineas and there was plenty of merit in their performances.
Runner-up Flying Award also hit the line strongly from back in the field and last season’s G1 Blue Diamond S. winner Tagaloa looked the winner 100 metres from home before he succumbed to the backmarkers.
He was racing in blinkers for the first time and lost no caste in defeat for trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young.
Tagaloa
“He was lovely and quiet in the parade ring, quiet as a lamb. We thought about the blinkers last preparation after the Prelude and going into the Blue Diamond and then decided against it,” Young said.
“We thought it was something to keep up our sleeve. When they came back just that bit older you have to keep their mind on the job, that was the factor behind it. Going forward, we just have to keep improving his value.”
Following Tagaloa’s Blue Diamond success, Yulong secured a controlling interest in the colt who will stand alongside fellow Group 1 winners Grunt (NZ) and Alabama Express at the end of his racing days.
