The quarantine buddy of Melbourne Cup contestant Lastotchka could run first-up in the Listed Cranbourne Cup.
The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained Golden Crusader has been entered for the $500,000 race over 1600m on Saturday along with the $100,000 Wodonga Cup (1590m) the previous day.
Golden Crusader won back-to-back races over 2040m and 2100m at Moonee Valley and Sandown respectively back in March and April and has not raced since finishing fourth at Morphettville in June.
The gelding is a member of Australian Bloodstock who also part own the Price and Kent Jnr-trained Lastotchka who ran 13th in the Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 7.
Price said Golden Crusader had done enough work to warrant a start in either the Cranbourne Cup or the Wodonga Cup.
“He’s in the Wodonga Cup on the Friday and the Cranbourne Cup on Saturday,” Price said.
“We’ll have a look at the nominations, but it wouldn’t worry me if we did run him at Cranbourne because he’s a had a beautiful preparation at Werribee.
“He was the quarantine buddy for Lastotchka, so every day he had good use of the course proper down there at Werribee.
“He’s done plenty of work and he has had a beautiful rider on him every day, Tahlee Atkinson, so I think we’ll have a look at the race and work it out.
“And one (race) is worth $500,000 and the other is just $100,000, so if we need to, we can always come back in grade after he has his first-up run.”
After starting his career in the UK, Golden Crusader broke through for his maiden win at Donald over 1620m at his Australian debut while the remainder of his three wins have been at 2000m and beyond.
Price said the Listed Ballarat Cup (2000m) on December 9 could be the next assignment for Golden Crusader.
