Mick Price had an odd job to do before he welcomed Caulfield Guineas winner Mighty Boss back to scale after his win in the $2 million event.
PRICE CLIMBS STRAIGHT AFTER GUINEAS
Mick Price had an odd job to do before he welcomed Caulfield Guineas winner Mighty Boss back to scale after his win in the $2 million event.
Price watched his striking colt scoot along the rail to claim the stallion-making event, screaming "GO MIGHTY BOSS" as he watched the finish with a small group outside the stewards' room.
Price flung his racebook across the room in delight before it lodged on top of a fire hose cabinet, landing out of Price's reach.
Price had to jump on a chair to grab his racebook before running out to celebrate with his stable staff and jockey Michael Walker.
Price's joy was heightened by the fact he owns 10 percent of the now valuable colt.
PROBLEM FOR CAULFIELD CUP FAVOURITE?
Punters who backed Bonneval to win the Caulfield Cup in the last couple of weeks might have some nervous moments in the next 72 hours.
Stewards reported the mare, who won the Dato Tan Chin Nam and Underwood Stakes at her previous two runs, pulled up lame in the near foreleg and had a laceration on a hind pastern, after her midfield finish behind Gail Chop in the Ladbrokes Stakes.
Bonneval still holds favouritism at $5.50 in Sportsbet's latest Caulfield Cup market but her backers will need to keep an eye on the media in the next few days.
Racenet will contact co-trainer Murray Baker on Sunday to keep readers in the loop.
Baker was much happier with the performance of ATC Australian Derby winner John Snow, who ran third behind Gailo Chop after his win in the Group III JRA Cup at Moonee Valley last time out.
HUGE HIGHS BEFORE DEEP LOW FOR WALKER
The highs and lows of jockey life were on show in a few short hours at Caulfield.
Michael Walker was a delighted man and the toast of the few punters who has backed $101 Caulfield Guineas winner Mighty Boss.
You would think nothing could take the shine off his day.
But he was (almost literally) fuming after being rubbed out for 10 meetings for careless riding on Mighty Boss, missing Caulfield Cup day.
"I've got to put my hand up, there's nothing I can really do to fight this charge," Walker said outside the stewards room.
"But it's just so disappointing. You get on a bit of a roll and then this kind of thing happens."
BEN ALLEN WHIPPED WITH HERBERT POWER SUSPENSION
Apprentice Ben Allen scored a Group II win on Lord Fandango in the Herbert Power Stakes but he'll have plenty of time to relive his success after he was suspended for over-use of the whip in the same race.
Allen will miss six meetings after stewards deemed he breached the whip rules when getting the Archie Alexander-trained galloper into the Caulfield Cup with his win.
However, all is not lost for Allen as he will have completed his suspension in time to ride Lord Fandango in next Saturday's Caulfield Cup if he can make the 50kg.
ADMIRE DEUS GETS A LOOK AT CAULFIELD
Admire Deus left the quarantine centre for the first time in order to have a track gallop at Caulfield on Saturday morning.
Admire Deus arrived in Melbourne last Monday week and has pleased with his condition and progress leading into his maiden Australian run in the Caulfield Cup.
Matt Scown, foreman for trainer Darren Weir, worked with Admire Deus in Japan and has overseen his preparation at Werribee and took the stayer to Caulfield for his hit-out.
Scown told Racing Victoria Admire Deus achieved his objectives with his work on Saturday.
"We wanted to give him a good hit-out and he worked with Burning Front and he impressed us, that's for sure, and he impressed Craig (Williams – jockey)," Scown told Racing Victoria.
"We pacify the horse and he likes to have a look around. He (Williams) said once we got him up and going and pushed him up and asked him to compete with Burning Front, he really did so.
"Once he passed him (Burning Front), he asked him again and he just kept lengthening. He hit the line really strongly and it was a really nice piece of work."
MAHER THRILLED WITH PURCELL SUCCESS IN 1000 GUINEAS
Ciaron Maher was just about the most popular man at Caulfield on Saturday even though he didn't train a winner.
The mop-haired trainer was congratulated and slapped on the back by dozens of well-wishers after filly Aloisia won the Thousand Guineas and became the new VRC Oaks favourite.
But Maher, who was suspended for six months from training over the Peter Foster ownership controversy, was quick to deflect any praise to his stand-in trainer Aaron Purcell.
"Nah, I don't want to talk about it," Maher said, when Racenet asked him about Aloisia's win.
"Aaron is the trainer and you should be talking to him."
