Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Cranbourne-based training duo Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr have a remarkable record with juveniles.
In the spring of last year, the stable unveiled the hugely talented Charm Stone (I Am Invincible) to win the early juvenile fillies' feature of the G3 Ottawa S. at Flemington.
Another star juvenile trained by Price is the now super stallion Extreme Choice, who claimed the R. Listed Inglis Nursery on debut before winning the G1 Blue Diamond ahead of stablemate Flying Artie.
Rambling - Zoustar x Fuddle Dee Duddle (Red Ransom {USA}) (filly)
First on the list, although in no order, is Rambling, a daughter of Zoustar.
The filly was purchased by Sheamus Mills Bloodstock (FBAA), who is also responsible for purchasing Charm Stone. Rambling was a $1.45 million purchase from the draft of Longwood Thoroughbred Farm at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Rambling as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“We are fortunate to be the trainers of a beautiful filly by Zoustar named Rambling. She is largely in the same ownership as Charm Stone,” Kent Jnr said.
“Rambling looked very classy during her first preparation in the stable and after having a short freshen-up, will come back into the stable this Friday.
“It is all about catching your precocious 2-year-olds on the way up, so timing is very important and we hope that she will be competing during the Flemington carnival.”
It is a possibility that the filly could head towards the G3 Ottawa S. to try and emulate Charm Stone who claimed it last year.
Rambling is the seventh foal from the Red Ransom (USA) mare Fuddle Dee Duddle. She claimed four victories during her career including the G3 Champion Fillies S.
“We are fortunate to be the trainers of a beautiful filly by Zoustar named Rambling. She is largely in the same ownership as Charm Stone.” - Michael Kent Jnr
Rambling is from a well-related family. Her dam Fuddle Dee Duddle is a half-sister to the outstanding Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Hallowell Belle (Starcraft {NZ}), and Bella Orfana (Star Witness), who has produced the G1 Manikato S. victress Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai).
Fuddle Dee Duddle has done the job at stud with four of her five progeny to hit the track winners, including a full brother to Rambling - Brereton.
The gelding won the G3 Maribyrnong Plate and was placed in the G2 Sires’ Produce S. as a juvenile.
Emirate - Extreme Choice x Sweet Bouquet (Dream Ahead {USA}) (colt)
Kent Jnr is hopeful the aptly-named Emirate can make his mark this spring.
A son of the sire sensation Extreme Choice, a former Mick Price trainee, the colt hails from a well-known Emirates Park Stud family.
Extreme Choice | Standing at Newgate Farm
Emirate’s dam Sweet Bouquet, a daughter of Dream Ahead (USA), was bred by Emirates Park Stud and is closely related to the Group 2-winning Fatoon (Snaadee {USA}) and the dam of the G1 Epsom H. hero Fat Al (Al Maher).
“At this stage, Emirate appears to be one of our more exciting 2-year-olds,” Kent Jnr explained.
“He’s very typical of his sire, Extreme Choice. He has a good sprinter's action and a terrific temperament with just the right amount of spark. All the signs he is giving our riders at this early stage are very promising.”
Emirate, the first foal of his dam, was a $1 million purchase by Aramco Racing, M G Price Racing & Breeding and Rick Connolly Bloodstock when offered by Kingstar Farm at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Emirate as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
The colt is raced in a partnership that comprises Aramco Racing and Yulong Investments.
Exceed And Excel x Heart Of The Oaks (Sebring) (colt)
The unnamed colt was a $360,000 purchase by Mick Price Racing & Breeding from the draft of Coolmore Stud at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
This son of Exceed And Excel is the first foal from the Sebring mare Heart Of The Oak.
Heart Of The Oak won three races and is a full sister to the G2 Sweet Embrace victress Believe Yourself.
Exceed And Excel x Heart Of The Oaks (colt) as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“He’s a colt by arguably one of our best 2-year-old sires in Exceed And Excel,” Kent Jnr said.
“He’s a beauty and a great example of a 2-year-old type by that stallion - balanced and well-muscled with good strength behind the saddle.
“He seems like a very natural juvenile, and I love how he covers the ground. We hope he will also be having a jump-out on Monday.”
Bombard - Spirit Of Boom x Madame Fly (Excites) (filly)
Bombard is a well-related daughter of the outstanding juvenile sire Spirit Of Boom.
The filly is the fourth foal from the Excites mare Madame Fly. A star broodmare, she is the dam of one last season's star juveniles, Cifrado (Encryption).
During an outstanding Brisbane winter carnival preparation, the colt claimed the G2 Sires’ Produce S. and the G2 Spirit Of Boom Classic.
Furthermore, the filly is a full sister to the speedy Miami Fleiss, a Listed victress, and Cochrane, a Listed placegetter.
“At this stage, Bombard is the most forward of all our 2-year-olds. She galloped exceptionally well on Tuesday morning and given the way she is bred we are optimistic she can get to the races soon,” Kent Jnr told TTR AusNZ.
“We hope to give her a Cranbourne jump-out and then potentially head to the Flemington juvenile jump-outs. If she did everything right there then she could line up in an early race like the Listed Maribyrnong Plate on October 7.”
Bombard as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Bombard was a $475,000 purchase by Yes Bloodstock when offered by Eureka Stud at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Chelsea - Written Tycoon x Shoals (Fastnet Rock) (colt)
Chelsea, a blue-blooded colt by a Champion Sire and the second foal from the multiple Group 1-winning mare Shoals (Fastnet Rock), will have a highly anticipated debut when he does step out at the races.
Shoals (white cap) when racing | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Shoals was a Group 2 winner as an autumn 2-year-old but blossomed as a 3-year-old, winning the G1 Myer Classic, the G1 Surround S. and the G1 Robert Sangster Classic.
Arrowfield Stud offered Chelsea at the 2023 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, where he caught the attention of Aramco Racing, Yulong Investments and Mick Price Racing & Breeding, who shelled out $1 million to secure the colt.
“Chelsea is a gorgeous, gorgeous colt. He is very much in the mould of a sprinter but also has lovely scope,” Kent Jnr told TTR AusNZ.
Chelsea as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
“Being an Easter yearling, he has done a little bit less than the Magic Millions yearlings so Mick (Price) and I aren’t sure yet if he’ll go in the spring, however, these young colts can switch on very quickly.
“We are obviously very lucky to have him in the stable and hope to develop him into a stud colt in the future.
Azucar - Zousain x Miss Amber (Sepoy) (colt)
From his experience with the Zousain breed thus far, Kent Jnr likes what he’s seeing from the son of Zoustar.
The stable has a few of the sire's progeny in the stable, with Kent Jnr holding a colt named Azucar, in high regard.
“This colt shows A LOT of spirit getting to the track, but once you’re over his neck, he knows his job very well.
“This colt shows A LOT of spirit getting to the track, but once you’re over his neck, he knows his job very well.” - Michael Kent Jnr
“Azucar was one of the better gallopers from our juvenile team on Tuesday morning and as a type he is a very masculine strongly-built colt.’
“From a relatively small sample size of what I’ve seen of the first season sire progeny, Zousain would be the pick of them thus far.
Supremacy - Extreme Choice x Top Billing (NZ) (Savabeel) (colt)
Supremacy is another colt by Newgate Farm’s sire sensation, Extreme Choice.
The son of Extreme Choice is the seventh foal from the Savabeel mare Top Billing (NZ). Showing stamina she was placed in the G3 South Australia Fillies Classic.
Savabeel | Standing at Waikato Stud
“Supremacy is a very mature, professional colt with a lot of scope. He has a beautiful long stride as is so typical of the good Extreme Choices,” Kent Jnr explained.
“He appears to be a colt that will cope with early training and racing but looking at him, and assessing his pedigree, we’d be very surprised if he didn't train on and keep improving into next year.”
First Settler - Written Tycoon x Graciousness (Street Cry {Ire}) (colt)
To round out the selections for Price and Kent Jnr Racing is another son of Champion Sire, Written Tycoon. The colt was recently named First Settler.
The colt is the third foal from the Street Cry (Ire) mare Graciousness. She is a daughter of Lady Capel (Last Tycoon {Ire}).
Graciousness is a half-sister to the G1 Chipping Norton S. winner and Group 1-producing sire Casino Prince, who has been a mainstay at Vinery Stud.
Casino Prince | Standing at Vinery
Furthermore, this is the family of Coolmore Stud's new stallion Best Of Bordeaux, a winner of the G2 Roman Consul S. and the G2 Silver Slipper. He was also placed in the G1 Golden Slipper.
First Settler is a half-brother to Vienna Princess (Snitzel), who won the Listed Twilight Glow S.
“He’s a very imposing, powerful colt with so much strength through his gaskins and hocks.
“First Settler only walked back into the stable on Tuesday and whilst we haven’t let him off the bridle just yet, he gives everyone who has ridden him an incredible feel.
First Settler as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
First Settler was a $750,000 purchase by Yulong Investments and Mick Price Racing & Breeding from the draft of Baramul Stud at the 2023 Magic Millions Yearling Sale.
