Price puts ultimate test on Grunt’s plate
TRAINER Mick Price has decided Makybe Diva Stakes winner Grunt will not head down a Cups path but instead take on arguably racing’s biggest challenge – Winx in the Cox Plate.
While acknowledging the magnitude of the task he faces in taking on Winx in a Cox Plate, Price said he took inspiration from last year’s race that beating the superstar wasn’t an impossible feat.
“She defeated Humidor by three-quarters of a length last year,’’ Price said.
‘‘We were close-up behind him two starts ago and then
we beat him on Saturday comfortably.”
Grunt is third favourite at $21 with Humidor ($15), behind Winx at $1.33 with Ladbrokes for the Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 27.
After Grunt won the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) on Saturday, Price indicated the four-year-old stallion was more likely to target the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups than the Cox Plate.
The next day Price discussed Grunt’s options with the horse’s owners and regular rider Damien Oliver and decided to stay on a weight-forage path for the rest of spring.
Grunt will have his next start in the Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on September 30 and then would run in the October 13 Caulfield Stakes (2000m) before the Cox Plate.
After that Price plans to run him in the Emirates Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on November 10.
“Damien just made a comment that he didn’t think an 18-horse handicap, charging down the straight at Caulfield in a Caulfield Cup would suit him, and then the Melbourne Cup.
“You’ve got to have a plan and that’s it for the moment but he’ll stay in the Caulfield Cup as a back-up though.”
Price believes not stretching Grunt out in distance this campaign would also benefit his autumn campaign.
The Victorian trainer said another consideration was that if Grunt, could win a Cox Plate it would inflate his value as a stallion prospect.
Grunt, a son of O’Reilly, has won five of his eight starts including the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes and Australian Guineas.