The promising Planet Red, second in the Caulfield Guineas, lines up for his first-up assignment in Stakes grade at Caulfield.
Planet Red’s participation in Saturday’s Group 2 Autumn Stakes (1400m) will be his exclusive trial ahead of the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington February 28.
Trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, this three-year-old gelding hasn’t appeared since his strong second placing behind Autumn Boy in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) last October.
Price, targeting a quartet of Australian Guineas wins, owned up to Planet Red being exhausted post his Caulfield Guineas series.
“He had five weeks off after the Caulfield Guineas,” Price said.
“When he went into the Caulfield Guineas, he only had a certain amount of energy left in him, but we got it to come together in the last two weeks before that race and he ran super.
“He had five weeks off, but I haven’t got enough horse to do the Space Rider prep.
“Space Rider is going to have three runs into the Australian Guineas, but I’m going to take a punt on Planet Red. He runs in the 1400 metres and then it is three weeks to the Guineas.
“He has improved a little bit as a gelding, but it’s a quick turnaround from the spring.”
After a 11th in the Caulfield Guineas, Space Rider returned triumphant in Caulfield’s Group 3 Manfred Stakes (1200m) on January 26.
He progresses to the Group 3 C S Hayes Stakes (1400m) at Flemington next weekend, a key Guineas stepping stone.
Price has tasted Australian Guineas glory thrice previously – Light Fantastic (2008), Heart Of Dreams (2009), Grunt (2018) – with Tarzino unlucky against Palentino in 2016, protest denied.
His collaboration with Kent Jnr seeks an inaugural Guineas victory together.
“The Australian Guineas has been good to me,” Price said.
“Planet Red will be pretty cherry ripe come the Australian Guineas and I think he’ll run well.”
Get in on the betting markets for the race as Planet Red eyes a strong Autumn Stakes showing en route to the Guineas.
The post Caulfield return for Guineas hope first appeared on Just Horse Racing.
