Caulfield trainer Mick Price is pleased with the progress of Group One winners Grunt and Mighty Boss after the Karaka purchased duo filled the placings behind stablemate Holy Snow in a 990m trial at Cranbourne on Monday morning.
Both Grunt and Mighty Boss are likely to resume in the Gr.2 P.B.
Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 18, while Price will plot a path
towards the Gr.1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) with Holy Snow.
"Grunt improved from his exhibition gallop he had with Mighty Boss, he was a bit wound down then, but he switched on today," Price said.
"He bounced out of the gates fresh. I thought he improved a hell of a lot since that exhibition gallop.
"I haven't been too hard on him, he's got a long spring in front of him, but today was excellent, I'm very happy there."
Price said Australian Guineas winner Grunt would be set on a path towards the Gr.1 Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m).
The New Zealand-bred son of O'Reilly will look to add to his stallion CV with Flemington Group One targets including the Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) and Turnbull Stakes (2000m) on his program.
"We're going to be a little bit flexible where we run him because we're not sure how he'll go around Moonee Valley," Price said. "We need to take him to the right races with the right prizemoney and target the right Group Ones.
"But I think because he's a good Flemington horse, he'll have a couple of goes there."
Caulfield Guineas winner Mighty Boss will likely only meet his stablemate in the P.B. Lawrence.
"Mighty Boss was good, but Grunt's probably caught up," Price said.
"Mighty Boss is a little bit gross, but they'll kick off in the P.B. Lawrence, and then I think they'll go different paths from there."
Price said the Gr.1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield on October 13 was the principal target for Mighty Boss, but rider Michael Walker felt the entire by Not A Single Doubt would get over 2000m.
Group One winning two-year-old Seabrook finished fourth in her 800m heat and Price said the Tauranga-bred filly would commence in the Gr.3 H.D.F. McNeil Stakes (1200m) at the beginning of next month.
"At this stage she'll have a four-run prep culminating in the One Thousand Guineas," Price said.
Meanwhile, quality four-year-old Hiyaam was a notable scratching at the Cranbourne trials.
" She just had a little bit of a knee three or four day's ago, so we just had to treat that," Price said. "I couldn't bring her here because of the swab rule on that one but she can trial over 1100m at Caulfield tomorrow.
"She's not set for anything early in the spring. Her go will be later in the spring so I'm happy with her. She came flying out of the trotting-ring this morning, so she's feeling great." – NZ Racing Desk
