Trainer Mick Price can only wonder how much better his poorly-conformed galloper Euphoric Realm would have been if he was sound.
Price, who describes the gelding’s front legs as pogo sticks, has had his work cut out trying to keep the five-year-old together but amazingly the wins have kept coming.
“He’s had eight starts, won five races, and broken down three times,” Price said.
“He’s a good horse but he’s got pogo sticks in front.
“There is no flexion there but that is the way he is built.
“He’s had soft tissue injuries, high suspensories and is `jointy’ with an ordinary pair of fetlocks, but he keeps winning.”
Price’s achievement with Euphoric Realm cannot be overstated particularly as he has managed to push him out to 2000 metres for Saturday’s Life & Style Cup at Caulfield.
“He is a day-to-day proposition and it is four weeks between runs for him but it is a 0-89 handicap, $70,000 race on his home track, and he is the only leader in the race so he’s got to run,” Price said.
“He’s a 2000-metre horse and, with C Newitt to ride, hopefully he can run well again.”
Meanwhile, Price will test About Ready for the first time over 1400 metres in the BMW Handicap.
The winner of six of her 18 starts and $275,000 in prizemoney, the five-year-old mare has made late ground at both her runs this campaign when seventh to Mid Summer Music at both Caulfield and Moonee Valley.
Last start she was beaten just over two lengths over 1200m and Price thought long and hard about running her in Saturday’s feature race, the Listed Monash Stakes (1100m).
“We considered it but I thought she’s been looking like she wanted 1400 metres,” Price said.
“It’s an open handicap with Jungle Ruler, Mr Make Believe and some other good horses but she’s there and we will see how we go.”
AAP TURF
