Mick Price could be facing up to the biggest pay day in his training career, with the exciting colt, Extreme Choice, who looks to be the best two year old let out so far this season.

He opened his winning account in sensational fashion at Randwick, after missing the start he had the leaders well covered when heads were turned for home.

A yearling that was purchased for $100,000, returning a profit of $190,000 on just the one run, Mick could be touted as a candidate for the Stock Exchange.

The colt will return to the Caulfield stable sometime this week, a decision in which direction he takes, the Blue Diamond Stakes and the Golden Slipper Stakes, would be high on the shopping list.

Whether the colt will be set for the two majors is too early at this stage, but surely they will be discussed, however, it is not impossible.

Bounding Away, Coutza, John’s Hope and Sepoy, won both the Blue Diamond Stakes, in late February, and the Golden Slipper Stakes can be up nearly six weeks later.

Saturday’s win was all about speed, and the winner is well endowed with that, his sire, Not A Single Doubt, had exceptional speed, much of that has been inherited bu many of his progeny.

Winner has overcome problems

Shakespearean Lass has proved a work in progress for her trainer Pat Carey, however, he has never been the one to give in easily.

There have been a few quirks to iron out in her short racing career, but she really put her best foot forward in winning the First Response Pharmacy Trophy at Flemington.

It was an impressive win as Miss Gidget showed a great deal of pace and still looked a winner at the clock tower, with Shakespearean Lass doing all the chasing.

When Miss Gidget began to wilt the winner grabbed her very quickly, with Tykiato getting up to split the winner, Shakespearean Lass and Miss Gidget.

The winner is trained by Pat Carey and ridden by his former apprentice, Rhys McLeod, who does not get that many city rides, but he still makes the best of it.

Both the winner and the second horse, Tykiato, are by Written Tycoon, whilst he is a long way off being the leading sire; he is proving a very good money spinner for Woodside Park, where he stands at Tylden.

Shakespearean Lass winning at Flemington

Queensland racing in trouble

Queensland racing is heading in the wrong direction with an announcement that stake money is to be reduced, the life blood of the industry is being drained, trainers will have no option but to shut up shop.

Rising costs against income is a sure recipe for disaster, thousands thrown out of a job, all that achieves is the dole queues are getting longer.

Racing people for racing, without the solid knowledge about the grass roots of the industry and how it works, is a futile exercise.

Governments should not be so heavily involved in racing when they know so little about it, they could be on the scrap heap in three years.

We should not have a Minister of Racing; by the time one bill has been passed it can be altered by an incoming of Government.

A new Racing Minister for Queensland has been appointed in Grace Grace, whether she is a Messiah that will save the northern state remains to be seen.

City environment suits mare

A change of stables has rejuvenated Precious Gem; she scored brilliantly in coming from the rear of the field to win the Building Engineering Trophy at Flemington.

As per usual she got a fair way back again on Saturday, but had an interrupted run under the vigorous riding of Chris Symons, she responded well to win by three parts of a length.

Formerly trained by Gwenda Johnston, she is now in the stable of Henry Dwyer at Caulfield; she is holding her condition well as she has been up for quite a while.

Dwyer paid a compliment to Mick and Gwenda saying, “the mare was sent down to him is great order.”

The plan is to start Precious Gem on Boxing Day in the Lord Stakes, a Listed race at Caulfield, if a horse ever deserved to have a race named in his honour it was Lord, he won 20 races at “The Heath”, the first three as a two year old ridden by Kevin Mitchell. 

Precious Gem - A winner for Henry Dwyer

Criterion is no jetsetter

Criterion failed again, a bit like the boy that fell out of the boat, he was not in it.

Sure, he drew two from the outside, which was no help, but he was entitled to do something, yet he did nothing, it didn’t enhance his value.

His race record is hardly flattering as a potential sire, 33 starts for seven wins, and after the Hong Kong episode, the next one is not yet in sight.

He is rising six, the autumn would see him out, there is not much there after that, it is the early bird that catches the worm, many of better sires have gone to stud at four, youth is the name of the game.