Trainer Mick Price is playing a double hand with youngsters Poepillar and Rococco to try to win the Thomas North Plate for the second year in a row.
Last year Holdontoyahorses won the 1100-metre Caulfield event before going on to finish fifth in the Blue Diamond Stakes but Price isn’t making any lofty plans just yet for his pair who make their race debuts on Saturday.
“Both are nice horses but both will be better as late two-year-olds and early three-year-olds, especially the filly (Rococco),” Price said.
“It was borderline whether she would run or not on Saturday but she came home well to run a place in a trial at Caulfield so she is going around as part of her education.
“She is a big strong filly who will get 1600 metres as a three-year-old.”
Rococco is by Fastnet Rock and was an inexpensive yearling who cost $80,000 while Poepillar, a son of Rock Of Gibraltar, was an even cheaper buy at $60,000.
Price’s number one rider Craig Newitt will partner Poepillar, who is at $4.60 with TAB Sportsbet, while Dale Smith will ride Rococco ($9).
Elusive Quality filly Sweet Little Lies, trained by Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra, also makes her race debut and is the $3.50 favourite ahead of the Peter Snowden-trained Dispatch ($4.20).
Dispatch won his only start at Sandown on December 21 and being the only winner in the race he is the one that Price wants Poepillar to get a trail behind.
“He (Poepillar) is drawn the outside but if he flies the gates he can probably follow Dispatch,” Price said.
While Price doesn’t expect Poepillar and Rococco to be running in next month’s Blue Diamond Stakes he has high hopes for their stablemate, More Than Ready filly Samaready.
At her only start at Flemington on December 17, Samaready beat Mrs Gray and Alzora who is also engaged in Saturday’s contest at Caulfield.
Price said Samaready would have her next start in next month’s Blue Diamond Prelude at Caulfield before the Blue Diamond.
AAP TURF
