Time and experience are expected to be the friend of Golden Path who will line up for his third race start at Flemington.
The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained galloper runs in the Silver Bowl Series Final (1600m) on Saturday following a debut win at Geelong and a last start narrow loss at Sandown.
That narrow loss at Sandown was behind Hard To Cross, an opponent on Saturday, and Kent Jnr believes the three-year-old can turn the tables.
Kent Jnr said Golden Path, a son of Irish stallion Belardo, had possibly cost himself victory by losing his action early in the straight.
He described the gelding’s action as ‘giraffe like’ as he raced down the dip on the Hillside track at Sandown on June 10.
“He’s up against the horse that beat him last time, but he did a bit wrong,” Kent Jnr said.
“It was his second start, and he came down the dip just after straightening and he’s got a bit of a giraffe action on him, and it took a while to get organised.
“Once he got organised, he really knuckled late and just missed.
“The flatter track, more experience, more seasoning, that will help him on Saturday.”
While there were excuses for Golden Path at Sandown, Kent Jnr also believes the gelding is still 12 months away from reaching his full potential.
“He’s a very promising, exciting horse, but a very raw, scopey, narrow type and his best is still 12 months away, at least,” Kent Jnr said.
“He’s drawn well for the mile especially being the last race at Flemington on the day.
“He’s meeting the same sort of horses that he ran against at Sandown, other than Brung King, which is going really well.
“But he can certainly run really well.”
