The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable is tackling the major three-year-old sprint of the Melbourne Cup Carnival with three representatives.
Jacquinot, Grand Impact and Bews will line up in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) on Saturday as they chase honours in the stallion making race.
Price and Kent took advantage of a recent change to Victoria Racing Club policy by taking Bews and Grand Impact to have a look at the Flemington straight in a jump-out on October 24.
Bews led home the 800m jump-out while Grand Impact was given an easy time out the back.
That pair had faced off against each other in the Group 3 Blue Sapphire Stakes (1200m) with Grand Impact landing the prize on the heavy track while Bews finished in sixth place.
Price said the effort of Bews could be forgiven given the track conditions were against while in the jump-out blinkers were applied which sparked the colt.
“Bews went 45 something in the trial and he was very good,” Price said.
“I like the horse. I think he’s shown some nice ability, but we haven’t seen him nail it on race day. He had no joy at Bendigo and then didn’t handle Caulfield, the wet track.
“He’s running in blinkers. He’s a good horse and we’re hoping he can put it altogether in the Coolmore.”
On the other hand, Price did not want Grand Impact to have as strong a hit-out as his stablemate in the trial but wanted the experience of working on the straight course.
Price said they deliberately left the blinkers off in the trial, but they will be back on Saturday as the colt chases his fourth straight win.
“I just wanted him to have a look at the straight. He won the Blue Sapphire, and the trial was his main gallop in between,” Price said.
“He got stirred up, which was good, and he trialled like he does without the blinkers on.”
After a two-run campaign in Sydney, Jacquinot is back in Melbourne looking to add to his Group 1 record.
Jacquinot got up in the last few bounds to win the Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill before running fifth to Giga Kick in The Everest.
“He felt Sydney a little bit,” Price said.
“He’s not a great horse on bad ground but he’s fine and we’ll see how he runs after his trip away.”
