TRAINER Mick Price is taking a cautious approach to the prospects of handy stayer Proliferate who will be one of two runners for the camp in tomorrow’s Group 3 SAJC Tokyo City Cup (1800m) in Adelaide.
Price is counting on an improved effort from the son of More Than Ready after his first-up effort at Flemington behind Fawkner in the Listed Sofitel Stakes (1400m).
Proliferate finished a 7-1/2 lengths 11th in the field of 16 but given the winner won by 4 lengths, Price’s charge wasn’t far away from the placegetters.
“We had to ride him cold from his bad gate and he worked home okay, (jockey) Michael Walker was happy with him,” Price said.
“We had a bit of difficulty with him being non-genuine in his last three runs as a colt in the autumn – before that he was okay – but he soon lost his desire.
“But I thought his first-up run was a genuine run.”
Proliferate steps quickly up to 1800m but it is the distance at which he won the VRC Myer Fashion Stakes at Flemington last spring.
“It’s a bit of a jump up and I know he’s by More Than ready but he’s a big, long horse who is very clean winded and certainly presents as a staying type,” Price said.
“He won an 1800m race on Oaks day at only his third start so he comes to hand quickly.
“I think he’ll run well.”
Stablemate and rival Miss With Attitude returns to her former lodgings at Morphettville this weekend having transferred from the Leon Macdonald/Andrew Gluyas yard across to Price.
The daughter of peerless stamina influence Galileo turned around a dismal first-up effort into an eye-catching run in the Slickpix at home on September 1.
“She did nothing on the slow ground first-up and then her run the other day was good,” Price commented.
“She had to change course a couple of times. If she gets a bit of room (tomorrow), she can be in the finish.”
Punters are sure to show their support for topweight and local galloper Bagman who scored a popular win in the Listed Balaklava Cup (1600m) last start.
The Sam Kavanagh-trained six-year-old fought off a sustained challenge from runner-up Road Warrior who franked the form with an 3 length win in Adelaide last Saturday.
