The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable held high hopes for Space Rider after a recent first-up win at Moonee Valley.
But Price concedes he was left scratching his head after the colt returned to that track for his second-up outing but failed to finish the race off in the Listed McKenzie Stakes (1200m) on September 6 when finishing second last.
The stable has opted to step the colt up in trip on Saturday for a tilt at the Group 3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m) at Caulfield.
Price said Saturday’s performance would determine whether the stable presses on towards the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) on October 11 or freshened for a shorter trip.
“He is coming off a poor run where I don’t have a reason for his poor run,” Price said.
“He worked good on Saturday morning and I don’t want to say he’s fighting for his manhood, but they’ve got to be genuine, don’t they?
“We’ll try him at 1400 metres. He’s going well in trackwork, but if he doesn’t fire at 1400 metres we won’t be going towards the Guineas, and we might have to freshen him up and try something else.
“I just thought that run the other day at The Valley, it was the run of a colt who was close to their top in the first half of the race, and Michael Dee said the alarm bells were ringing at the 600 metres, which isn’t good.”
Space Rider will have his third rider in as many starts with Blake Shinn taking over on the colt.
Price and Kent Jnr will also be represented by Planet Red in Saturday’s race as he presses his claims for a Caulfield Guineas start.
Planet Red scored first-up at Sandown on August 13 before running a closing fourth behind Rosberg at The Valley on September 6.
Price said Planet Red has 1600m “written all over him” and importantly Mark Zahra will be aboard again on Saturday.
“He’s going good, and his Valley run was good,” Price said.
“Mark Zahra was happy, we were happy, the horse is going well.
“He’s an immature three-year-old but so are a lot of them. He’ll be suited over 1400 metres and he will be again over the mile.
“His sire was a champion miler and that will be him if he holds his body weight, but the Caulfield Guineas will be hard because you then get the Golden Rose form coming down.”
