The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable have Group 1 aspirations with Street Rider after his return victory at Moonee Valley.
After having his first two starts in Brisbane as a two-year-old, Space Rider was given time to mature with a three-year-old campaign in mind.
The Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) is Space Rider’s target, the culmination of a four-run campaign which commenced with success in the Mick Gleeson Plate (1200m) on Saturday.
Ridden by Beau Mertens, Space Rider ($8.50) came with a sustained run to score by three-quarters-of-a-length from Wise Inlaw ($20) with Estremo ($5.50) a length away third.
Space Rider scored on debut at Eagle Farm last December before finishing fourth, again at Eagle Farm, the following month.
“He wasn’t right at start number two,” Price said.
“We were messing around with blood pictures that week and being an immature horse, he didn’t turn up that day.
“So, you just forget that run and judge him on today and what he did first-up.
“He’s a lovely big, lengthy horse. He’s going to the Exford Plate (at Flemington), the Stutt Stakes, back here, and then onto the Caulfield Guineas.
“He’s got mile written all over him and he’s a lovely horse.”
Space Rider had done all his early work for his spring campaign in Sydney and was down to run at Rosehill last week.
But with the amount of rain in Sydney during the past three weeks, the decision was made to transfer the colt to his Cranbourne stable.
“We did have him in at Rosehill last week, but I said to the connections the sun is shining, the sky is blue, the grass is green,” Price said.
“He did a good job to win over 1200 metres around here and I think he will be better at 1400 metres and a mile.
“The Sydney stable has been the making of this horse.
“We can work him up there and with Sydney floating away down the river, we were able to bring him back down here, and next week if we need to go to Sydney, we can swing them up there.”
