Mick Price has trained for over three decades and only once before witnessed a horse endure the same trouble that ruled Reserve Bank out for nearly 12 months.

The Goodwood champion gears up for Saturday’s Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill, reappearing in the stable for a spring assault following staff alerts on his demeanour.

“I walked in at four o’clock one morning and the girls said, ‘come and have a look at this’,” Price said.

“He was absolutely shaking life a leaf on the spot, which was really unusual.

“We couldn’t work it out initially. We thought it might have been a vertebrae problem, but it turned out to be Ross River virus based on his blood picture.”

Ross River virus spreads via mosquitoes and primarily affects humans but horses suffer fever, joint puffiness and lethargy from it too.

Price notes a sole prior case in his stable where the horse didn’t bounce back effectively, differing from Reserve Bank’s encouraging recovery trajectory.

“It was a horse called Blazing Harry. He came back and he did not race well, and he didn’t look to bloom,” Price said.

“I don’t have much experience or knowledge with it. I don’t know what to expect. But Blazing Harry, he didn’t have a lot of life looking at him, and this horse looks beautiful.

“I think he just needs racing.”

The four-year-old assembled a stakes hat-trick in autumn, sealed with the Goodwood victory.

With solid fresh stats, Price still sees value in the run and dislikes the barrier two position.

“The horse is going super, but I can’t picture how he wins a The Galaxy from that inside gate, first-up after a long time,” he said.

“He’s a four-year-old bull. I’m just looking for him to run well and please, and then I’ll work out a program.”

“He just needs to go to the races to bring him on.”

Damian Lane rides Reserve Bank who is at $8.50 in a betting race full of openness.

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