Trainer Mick Price is keen to give promising colt Guest House valuable exposure at Rosehill Gardens ahead of his assault on the Golden Slipper.
Price, who trains alongside Michael Kent Jr, will travel to Sydney on Thursday morning to supervise the colt’s important gallop on the Rosehill course proper.
The Melbourne youngster will complete his build-up to the Group 1 $5 million Golden Slipper (1200m) with another solid workout next Tuesday before lining up in the feature at Rosehill Gardens on March 21.
“The plan is to give Guest House a gallop with Zac Lloyd on the (Rosehill) course proper on Thursday,” Price told Racing And Sports. “He will then have another gallop next Tuesday.
“He’s in good order and has had four weeks between runs – he will be ready for the Golden Slipper.”
Guest House has not raced since finishing a close third behind Streisand and Closer To Free in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield on February 21.
All three placegetters from the Blue Diamond are now expected to clash again in the Slipper.
Trainer Clinton McDonald is preparing Streisand to attempt a rare double, with the filly aiming to emulate Courtza (1989) and Bounding Away (1986) as the only fillies to complete the Blue Diamond–Golden Slipper double.
Closer To Free had a trial at Rosehill earlier today, and trainer Danny O’Brien confirmed connections intend to lodge the $150,000 late entry fee before the 11am Monday deadline to secure a spot in the Golden Slipper.
In TAB Fixed Odds betting for the race, Streisand sits at $11, Guest House is quoted at $13 and Closer To Free is at $15, with Paradoxium currently heading the market at $5.
Price also revealed that progressive three-year-old Planet Red will remain in Melbourne and contest the Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield on March 21 instead of travelling to Sydney for the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) on the same day.
Planet Red has enjoyed a consistent campaign, finishing runner-up in both the Caulfield Guineas behind Autumn Boy and the Australian Guineas won by Observer.
Observer is now likely to target either the Rosehill Guineas or the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 28.