The placement of horses is the key to success as Cranbourne trainer John Price can attest.
A former West Australian, Price has been training in Melbourne for around five years and from his past 40 starters has produced nine winners.
He heads to Caulfield on Saturday to run Wise Hero in the Darren Gauci Handicap and King River in the Heritage Finance Handicap.
The prospects of wet ground doesn’t faze Price although Wise Hero is yet to race on a rain-affected track.
Up to 80mm of rain has been predicted in Melbourne before Saturday’s meeting.
“Most of his form has been on good tracks but I’m pretty certain he’ll start unless it’s real heavy,” Price said.
“He’s trialled exceptionally on heavy ground and also on soft tracks so at this stage he’ll be kicking off his prep.
“He’s very forward and I think he’ll run a good race but the only thing is he’s a little bit older now and sometimes as they get older they can need a run first-up.
“Normally he would give it a hell of a shake first-up but I just haven’t got that confidence.”
Wise Hero’s only bad run came at the corresponding meeting last year when finishing 11th over 1200m.
“He only got beaten three lengths that day and we all thought the world had caved in,” Price said.
King River will relish the wet conditions having scored over 1200m on a soft track at Caulfield last month.
The wet track sparked a return to form for the former Perth galloper who had been unplaced in three previous outings.
Price has continued a similar training regime with King River.
“The extra distance I think will be alright mainly because he hit the line so well the other day,” Price said.
“I think that carrying through to this he’ll be alright but he does have a preparation that does not involve a lot of galloping on the track.
“He just works up the hill here at Cranbourne.
“It seemed to work beautifully last time, so we’re doing that again.”
