On the day his sire won the Golden Slipper, Reserve Bank will attempt to add a Group 1 victory to his record and cement his place as a future stallion.
Capitalist won the 2016 edition of the Golden Slipper, run at Rosehill on Saturday, while his three-year-old son Reserve Bank runs for the first time at Group 1 level in the William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley.
Prepared by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, Reserve Bank is the least experienced galloper in Saturday’s line-up, having had five career starts for two wins.
Those victories came in restricted races – a maiden and a benchmark 64 – but what Price likes about the colt was his second placing to stablemate First Settler in the Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1200m) at Flemington.
Price has a lot of time for First Settler and believes he is a Group 1 winner in waiting, while Reserve Bank deserves a shot in what the trainer says is a winnable contest.
Reserve Bank will be second-up on Saturday, having finished sixth in the Inglis Sprint (1200m) at Flemington on March 1.
“His first-up run, he was too boisterous pre-race and took a bit to saddle up and he raced too fresh,” Price said.
“He’s improved. His work at The Valley on Tuesday was good, so we’re giving him his chance to run in a Group 1.
“He has to go there and do it, but he’s a nice horse and he seemed to whiz around Moonee Valley.
“If you go on the Danehill run, with First Settler, who is pretty smart, then you are entitled to have a dip at a better race.
“He’s a colt, so there’s a bit at stake.”
Price said Reserves Bank was immature in the knees as a younger horse which delayed his debut and had taken time to grow into his frame.
He said Reserve Bank would head to Sydney for the Group 2 Arrowfield Sprint (1200m) at Randwick on April 12 after Saturday’s outing.
After that, Reserve Bank could travel further north to Brisbane or came back to Victoria and travel to Adelaide for their carnival.
“He’s a big strong horse,” Price said.
“Adelaide is too far down the track at the moment, so he’ll hit the road up to Sydney, but if he has to come back to Adelaide, he’ll come back to Adelaide, otherwise he could continue on to Brisbane.
“He’s a lovely sound colt now and we expect him to run well.”
