One of the leading fancies for next month’s Blue Diamond Stakes will take the biggest step of her campaign at Cranbourne on Monday morning.
Charm Stone is one of a number of big names from the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable who will trial over 800 metres.
It will be her first public appearance since defeating Empress Of Wonder in the Group 3 Ottawa Stakes at Flemington in November and while important, it will be followed by what Price considers even more significant pieces of work as she gears up for the first Blue Diamond run at Sandown.
“I’m going to trial her and then give her a couple of practice gallops at Sandown,” Price said.
“I think a lot of horses this year will need to get used to Sandown, there’s going to be a lot of racing there obviously, and that’s what we’ll do with her.
“To be thorough you need to have a couple of practice goes at Sandown. It’s downhill, then there’s a dip and not every horse handles it.”
Charm Stone will resume in the Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) at Sandown on February 11 before progressing to the Group 1 Blue Diamond (1200m) at the same track two weeks later.
She is not the only Price-trained big name who will resume on February 11 having their first trial on Monday with I’m Thunderstruck to also step out.
The Cox Plate runner-up is bound for the $750,000 Group 1 C F Orr Stakes (1400m), when he will have a change of rider.
Jamie Kah will replace Mark Zahra, who rode the son of Shocking in all six starts of his spring campaign, which included a Group 1 win in the Makybe Diva Stakes.
“Jamie has won on him and I suppose it is Zaaki dependant – I’m not sure what Zaaki is doing – but we’ll kick off with J Kah and see what happens,” Price said.
The five-year-old will resume in the Orr before potentially heading to the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Sandown on February 25 with the $5m All Star Mile (1600m) and $4 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on April 9 his major targets.
Jacquinot will join I’m Thunderstruck as Price/Kent-trained runners in the Orr Stakes, but not before taking in the Group 3 Manfred Stakes at Sandown on Australia Day, and he will have his second trial after winning his first last Monday.
