Price hoping to be right about Planet Red, Sabaj

MELBOURNE – Mick Price is aware Sabaj and Planet Red need everything to go their way to win the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield on Sept 19, but he is doing everything he can to give them their best chance.

The Cranbourne trainer, who operates in partnership with Michael Kent Jr, has made a concerted effort to keep the duo sharp enough to be a force in the A$1 million (S$908,000) event over 1,400m.

Each has bigger goals over further later in spring, but Price has altered their work ahead of their second-up runs and is happy with the way they have adapted to it.

“I cut their work down to half-mile (800m), home ‘three’ (600m) on the grass and they were both perky,” Price said of their work on the morning of Sept 12.

“Both of those horses, their best distance is 1,600 and we’re trying to win a 1,400-metre race with them, so I need them jumping up and down a little bit.

“They’re nice and fresh and they should show up at the end of 1,400.”

Both Planet Red and Sabaj resumed in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes over the same course and distance on Aug 29, finishing seventh and last respectively in the 12-horse event won by Beiwacht.

For Planet Red, that was his launch pad of a campaign aimed at the A$10 million Group 1 Golden Eagle (1,400m) at Randwick on Oct 31.

The Admire Mars four-year-old has been placed several times at Group level, the highlight being his second to Autumn Boy in the 2025 Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1,600m), but his two wins thus far have only been in more modest company.

Sabaj, a Manhattan Rain five-year-old who won the Listed Cranbourne Cup (1,600m) in 2025, is being aimed at the A$2 million Group 3 Five Diamonds (1,800m) at Rosehill on Nov 7.

Each will get to those events via the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1,600m) at Caulfield on Oct 10 and Price said this weekend’s race was the ideal entry point to that event.

“That (1,400m) is not their ideal distance in a Group 1 handicap on top of the ground where they might run 1:22-something if it’s a good-run race,” said Price.

“But this is the race we want to use to go to the Toorak and they’re both going well.”

Planet Red and Sabaj figure among 24 entries for the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes, which is also likely to feature Lady Shenandoah, Sepals and Angel Capital.

It is one of two A$1 million Group 1 races at Caulfield on Sept 19, accompanied by the Underwood Stakes (1,800m), which counts Cosmic Crusader, Aeliana, Birdman, Buckaroo and Lindermann among 15 nominations.

Champion trainer Chris Waller said that Aeliana, whose main target is the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2,000m) at Flemington on Oct 3, would do the Sydney-Melbourne trip only if she draws well.

On Sept 19, the Castelvecchio mare is also entered in the Group 2 Seven Sunrise Stakes (1,600m) at Randwick, where she faces a clash with superstar stablemate Autumn Glow. Waller has also nominated his usual Group 1 suspects, Lady Shenandoah and Lindermann.

“We’re going to accept for the Underwood and the Seven Stakes, and then make a decision,” said the 16-time Sydney champion trainer.

“I’m happy to give her one more run at home to make sure everything is perfect and then probably join up in Melbourne for the Turnbull (Stakes).

“If she was drawing an even gate in both places, she will probably stay in Sydney. If she draws better in Melbourne in the Underwood, she’ll go to the Underwood.”