Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr completed their set of ‘Golden’ races in the season just gone with Guest House (Home Affairs) winning the G1 Golden Slipper. They’d previously won the G1 Golden Rose with Jacquinot and the Golden Eagle with I’m Thunderstruck (NZ) (Shocking). The stable is renowned for their colts having trained stallions like Extreme Choice, Grunt (NZ), Flying Artie and many more.
The big star colt
Guest House, 3-year-old colt (Home Affairs x Flamboyant Lass {Stratum})
There’s one horse in the stable that has everyone talking and it’s the $30 million man, Guest House.
“He most likely kicks off in the San Domenico, and then we'll go on that traditional path, with the Run To The Rose being his lead up for the Golden Rose, then the Coolmore at the end of the spring being the other obvious target for him,” Kent Jnr said.
Guest House | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“It’s a very obvious program once you get to that level. We’d be very optimistic he'd get 1400 (of the Golden Rose) because he really enjoyed the high pressure 1200 of the Golden Slipper and was very strong past the line.
“We’d be very optimistic he'd (Guest House) get 1400 (of the Golden Rose) because he really enjoyed the high pressure 1200 of the Golden Slipper and was very strong past the line.” - Michael Kent Jnr
“He's all good and he trials again, Friday week.”
Guest House was a winner on debut in late December, then placed in both the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude (c&g) and G1 Blue Diamond Stakes before ending his season with the G1 Golden Slipper victory. He was back at the trials on Tuesday at Warwick Farm where he ran fourth over 900 metres.
Michael Kent Jnr & Mick Price | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
From the first crop of Champion First Season Sire Home Affairs, Guest House was a $270,000 purchase by Price Kent Racing and Roll The Dice Syndications from Newgate Farm’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft.
“Home Affairs is particularly exciting because he's had such a good start. They're showing so much natural talent, but he wasn't really a 2-year-old, he got better at three and we know the I Am Invincible breed is much the same.”
Home Affairs | Standing at Coolmore Stud
Older Horses
Sabaj, 5-year-old gelding (Manhattan Rain x Bouzy {Uncle Mo (USA)})
Last seen when fourth in the G1 Australian Cup, Sabaj had a jump out at Cranbourne at the end of July.
“He had a career best campaign last preparation, running very well in the All-Star Mile and Australian Cup. He will kick off in the Memsie. It’s a very hot field because it’s the obvious kick off point to a lot of these horses and then they’ll all split up. From there, he’ll go to the Sir Rupert Clarke into the Toorak which is a nice race for him.
Sabaj | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“We have the option to go down a Weight For Age route with him but we think the Toorak is the likely target, and he could be a horse for the Five Diamonds up in Sydney.”
Winner of the Listed Cranbourne Cup last season, he was also fourth in the G1 All-Star Mile. He’s won five of his 12 starts with earnings over $770,000.
Planet Red, 4-year-old gelding (Admire Mars (Jpn) x Lucky Helmet {Helmet})
“He was second in both the Caulfield and the Australian Guineas and both times he flashed home. Good runs. He’s got exactly the same program as Sabaj. He’ll kick off in the Memsie, then should be a live chance in the Sir Rupert Clarke and Toorak at handicap level.
Planet Red | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“We're most likely thinking that the Golden Eagle will be a good target for him. We appreciate how difficult that race is to win. He’s run second in two Group 1 classics and with natural improvement (he’s a chance). We like the Toorak into the Golden Eagle, we won the Toorak with I’m Thunderstruck before he won the Golden Eagle and it works well having a tough mile run before you freshen back to 1500 three weeks later.”
Planet Red won his first two starts and then had six runs in black type company for four placings. He has earned his connections over $860,000
Charm Stone, 6-year-old mare (I Am Invincible x Najoom {Northern Meteor})
Charm Stone won the G1 Manikato Stakes last season and placed in the G1 Robert Sangster Stakes, a race she’d won the year prior, to take her record to five wins from 16 starts and over $2.6 million. She was a $1.55 million purchase by Sheamus Mills Bloodstock.
“Charm Stone would be the other obvious older horse (in the stable). She's a dual Group 1 winner, and she'll be targeting the Manikato first up, which she won last year.”
Charm Stone | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
3-Year-Olds
Big Sky, 3-year-old colt (Bivouac x Zoom By {Red Dazzler})
“Big Sky is worth talking about. He was the favourite for the Blue Diamond prior to being withdrawn the day prior with a little issue. He is back up and going,” Kent Jnr said.
“He's a high octane, sprinting colt, so his program will be most likely kick off in the Poseidon Stakes. Then for Danehill Stakes and you have option of going four weeks into the Coolmore or in between, you got the Blue Sapphire Stakes on Caulfield Cup day.”
Big Sky | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
When asked if the stable is deliberately keeping Big Sky in Melbourne to keep him away from Guest House, the answer was “not necessarily”.
“Big Sky has looked very sharp and he's got to prove he gets 1200. At this stage of his career, we wouldn't consider 1400 and he’s been very effective down the straight (at Flemington) already. So the sprinting colt program in Melbourne is obvious for him.”
Big Sky is unbeaten in two starts at two, winning at Flemington on debut and the G3 Chairman’s Stakes at Caulfield at his second start.
Buggsy, 3-year-old colt (Harry Angel (Ire) x Miss Severina {Foxwedge})
“He’s a nice horse, a colt by Harry Angel who won on debut then placed in the Redoute’s Choice at his second start and was given a break. He’s come back much improved. He looks a nice sharp colt.
“We’ll be putting a circle around the Coolmore but he’s got to prove he’s good enough. He’ll kick off in a 1000 metre handicap for 3-year-olds at Sandown on the 22nd of August. Then we’ll let him tell us, but he’s certainly a stakes quality colt and we’re really excited by him.
“We haven't got a real path mapped out yet. If he was to win (first up), he’ll go straight into black type.”
Buggsy | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
He’s Regal, 3-year-old colt (Zoustar x News Girl {Magnus})
Winner of two pre-Christmas jumpouts at two, unraced He’s Regal holds a G1 Golden Rose nomination.
“He’s a Zoustar colt who is ready to make his debut.”
“He’s a Zoustar colt who is ready to make his debut.” - Michael Kent Jnr
Two Bays Farm sold him at the Inglis Great Southern Sale for $250,000 to Cannon Hayes Stud who on-sold him at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale for $500,000 to Mick Price Racing.
He's Regal as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Come Together, 3-year-old gelding (Maurice (Jpn) x Crossing The Abbey {Helmet})
“He’s Regal and Come Together are showing good talent at the trials and they are potential spring players in their first racing campaigns. They’re very nice horses.”
Come Together won a jump out at Cranbourne on August 3. Mick Price Racing bought him for $270,000 from Daandine Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft.
Come Together as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Miss Waititi (NZ), 3-year-old filly (Circus Maximus (Ire) x Fritillary {Fastnet Rock})
“For the Oaks, we might have a filly named Miss Waititi. She’s by Circus Maximus and she had one run as a 2-year-old. We put her away and she’s one we are looking forward to trying to get towards the Ethereal and Wakeful and see if she measures up to the Oaks.
“He (Circus Maximus) is going really well. We had a winner on Monday by him, that won by 8 lengths, Gold Chariot who looks a very nice horse.”
Miss Waititi ran sixth at her only start to date at Caulfield on June 6.
Miss Waititi (NZ) as a yearling | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
