The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable hopes it has learned from their mistake of 12 months earlier with promising three-year-old Artzino.
On a path towards the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington on October 29, Artzino broke through for his maiden win in the Ladbrokes Market Control Plate (1500m) at Sandown on Wednesday.
Ridden by Mark Zahra, Jungle Magnate, the $2.70 favourite, got up in the last bound to score by a short-half-head from Ferrari Man ($5) with Berardino ($4.20) a further 1-¾ lengths away third.
Artzino was showing Price and Kent similar traits to former stablemate Jungle Magnate in his earlier two-year-old days.
Jungle Magnate, who won the Group 1 South Australian Derby in May before being sold to Hong Kong, was on a Caulfield Guineas path this time last year before Price and Kent realised their error and switched the son of Tarzino towards the Derby.
However, the preparation was rushed, and Jungle Magnate eventually finished tenth behind Hitotsu.
Price and Kent have ignored the temptation of a Guineas preparation and are concentrating solely on the Derby with Artzino, who like Jungle Magnate is a son of Tarzino, winner of the Derby in 2015.
“As a young two-year-old he showed similar signs as Jungle Magnate in that he had that bit of speed,” Kent Jnr said after Artzino’s victory on Wednesday.
“Jungle Magnate we got wrong early in the spring, so this guy we weren’t going to make any mistakes.
“We identified his ability, gelded him, put him away for three months and we brought him in to time his run towards the Derby.
“He’s a nice, sound, tough boned Kiwi horse with a good motor.
“He’s still got to furnish, but we’re here and now in the spring and we’ll map a path to the Derby now.”
Kent Jnr said the Listed Super Impose Stakes (1800m) at Flemington on October 1 followed by either the Group 3 Caulfield Classic (2000m) on October 15 or the Group 2 The Vase (2040m) at The Valley the following week would be the likely path towards the Derby.
