Price Set To Spring More Wins

The Age

Tuesday November 20, 2007

Tony Bourke

CAULFIELD trainer Mick Price does not have the firepower of some of the bigger stables but he is making the most of the ammunition he has got as the spring carnival draws to an end this week.

Price has already made his mark on the spring, highlighted by his win with Schilling in the Sandown Guineas last Saturday, and he follows up with Captious in tomorrow's $116,000 Ballarat Cup (2200 metres) and Shinzig in Saturday's group 3 Eclipse Stakes (1800 metres) at Sandown.

Captious is attempting to complete the traditional end-of-spring provincial cups double after his win in the Bendigo Cup last Wednesday, which might be the last time it is done in the current timeslot if the clubs agree on a move to have both races run earlier in the spring.

Captious has topweight of 59 kilograms tomorrow, compared with the 57.5 he carried over the 2400 metres at Bendigo, which should not be enough to stop him, although the field is arguably stronger with the addition of King Of Ashford, Arbitration and Sentire, who have raced well during the carnival.

In just his third run back after campaigning in NZ, Sydney and Brisbane earlier in the year, Shinzig, a six-year-old stallion by Danehill, finished third behind Tears I Cry and Muzdaher in the upset trifecta of the spring in the group 1 Emirates Stakes at Flemington last Saturday week.

His best win was in the group 3 Schweppes Cup (1400 metres) at Caulfield in February, 2005, and his most recent success was over 1200 metres at Te Rapa in August of that year.

Shinzig has yet to deliver on the potential he showed as a younger horse and, at this stage of his career, it would be another feather in Price's cap if he can deliver another group race on Saturday.

With 13 city wins this season, Price is fifth on the trainers' premiership behind Lee Freedman (34) David Hayes (26), Peter Moody (18) and Danny O'Brien (18).

? Well-known Gippsland trainer Greg Counihan died yesterday after a short illness.

Counihan held a trainer's licence for 43 years and was the third generation of his family to train from his Emerald Hill property near Bairnsdale.

He is survived by his wife Robyn, son Jack and daughter Nellie.

© 2007 The Age

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