Ready For Victory has strengthened his chances of chasing a slice of Golden Slipper history after making a winning debut at Flemington.
Trainer Mick Price intends to start Ready For Victory in the $3.5 million Sydney race after the colt, owned by Eliza Park International, pocketed $72,000 prize money in winning the Listed Festival of Racing 1000 on Saturday.
No horse has won the Golden Slipper at its second start.
Price admits the task of running in the Slipper is a monumental one, but said the horse’s owners bought him with the view of running in quality races.
“I’ve probably got a week to look at him, and then he’s got to get on a float and get to Sydney and go the reverse way,” Price said.
“It’s a very, very big task but you certainly can’t win it sitting at home.”
Ready For Victory started $3.40 and had to chase hard to run down the favourite Heatherly ($3), reeling the filly in late to score by a shork neck.
They had a margin on the rest of the field with Claudia Jean ($7) filling the minor placing, 2-3/4 lengths away.
Price said Ready For Victory, who is in to $15 for the Golden Slipper, was a quality colt.
“I had him up for the Blue Diamond but he was on the way down and got a cold,” the trainer said.
