One of the scenarios confronting Melbourne trainer Mick Price at Doomben on Saturday is near enough to ideal.
The other is not.
But Price is hopeful both Al Aneed, who runs in the Fred Best Classic, and his BRC Sprint runner Smokin’ Joey can produce similar results.
Al Aneed shapes as the pick of the Price team this weekend in a race his trainer said suits him perfectly.
“Al Aneed is in a beautiful race for him,” Price said.
The colt ran a good race at big odds when second in the Gold Coast Guineas earlier this month, Price reporting that his jockey in the race believed he would have won with a clear run.
“Larry Cassidy said he’d have got the money if he’d knocked Chris Munce over on the favourite,” he said.
“That was his first run this time in and he’s trained on, he’s thrived.”
The trainer’s confidence was boosted further by Al Aneed’s work on a heavy track in Brisbane on Tuesday morning and by his improved temperament since going north.
“His work suggested he’d handle the heavy and the trip away seems to have cooled his colty brain down,” he said.
While Smokin’ Joey has run well since joining Price, the trainer is struggling to find the right race for the horse.
“His first two runs for us were good, he’s in good order, he’s worked good in Brisbane and I’m sure he’ll race well,” he said.
“But he’s a difficult horse to place. I reckon if I found the exact right race for him he’d go good.”
Smokin’ Joey was clearly out of his depth last start when he tailed the field of eight behind All Too Hard in the All Aged Stakes at Randwick.
But Price said he received a better-than-expected report from jockey Brenton Avdulla after that run and is happy to be giving the horse his chance in Saturday’s Group Three race.
Both Al Aneed and Smokin’ Joey will be ridden on Saturday by Larry Cassidy.
