Last year's Blue Diamond Stakes winner Samaready will resume her topsy turvy racing career in the G3 Heath Stakes at Caulfield on August 31.
Photo by Racing and Sports
Samaready has not raced since August of last year when fourth in the Quezette Stakes. A leg injury has since prevented her from returning to the track.
Now a four-year-old, Samaready was unbeaten in her first four starts as a two-year-old before finishing third behind Pierro and Snitzerland in the 2012 Golden Slipper Stakes at Rosehill.
Price is looking forward to getting the talented sprinter back to racing.
“She's great and will have two jumpouts at Caulfield on August 13 and August 20 to get her ready to race in the Heath Stakes,” Price said.
“It looks a suitable race for her as she'll carry 57kg under the set weights.
Price is also preparing the European imports Bit Of Hell and Pakal for the start of their spring campaigns after they made brief appearances in the late autumn.
Bit Of Hell and Pakal both made their Australian debuts at Caulfield over 1600m on May 25 and made an instant impression before they were given short spells.
Bit Of Hell showed he could be a big spring contender with a late closing second to the talented Strawberry Boy while Pakal finished a luckless fifth.
The pair were entered for the abandoned Cranbourne trials on Monday forcing Price to look at other options before their planed first-up assignment over 1600m at Caulfield on August 17.
“They'll go into the race underdone after missing a trial but they are both happy and healthy,” Price said.
Price's program for the pair is likely to include the Listed Heatherlie Handicap (1700m) at Caulfield on August 31 before their first major spring test in the $400,000 Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on September 21.
“I'm pretty sure that will be their first three runs and then we will work things out from there,” Price said.
Price also has Longma, an exciting eight lengths debut winner at Werribee, and Worth A Ransom preparing for early spring races.
He plans to run Longma first-up in the G2 Danehill Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on September 7 as his first step towards a start in the $1 million Caufield Guineas (1600m) in October.
“I'm confident with them both up to 1400m,” Price said.
“If Longma shows he doesn't get 1600m we could freshen him up and target a race like the Coolmore Stud Stakes over 1200m.”
