Price/Kent Gelding On A Path To McKell Cup History
A small piece of history awaits Golden Path (NZ) (Belardo) if the talented middle distance performer can become the first dual winner of the Listed $200,000 TAB WJ McKell Cup (2000m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
The race has changed distances and tracks since its inception in 1962, it has been run over the current course since 2020, but no horse has been able to win it twice and Golden Path will attempt it as something of a Plan B.
The gelding was to run in last week’s Ipswich Cup but when he drew wide the Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr stable elected to refocus on the race he won two years ago.
“I think it looks a nice race for him. He’s in the mix somewhere,’’ Kent Jnr said on Sky Sports Radio.
“At home his trackwork has been fantastic so hopefully we can get him back in the winner’s stall.
“He wasn’t too bad last time in the Lord Mayors Cup up there, he had to go from a wide gate and go forward and work very hard. He only got beaten two and a bit lengths.”
Regan Bayliss rides Golden Path this year, he’ll carry top weight of 59kg after Fawkner Park (with 61kg) didn’t accept and he has drawn favourably.
Both Destiny's Kiss (2018) and Ecaduor (2016) carried 59.5kg to win the race when run over 2400m and between them Allergic scored under 59kg.
In the spring the six-year-old was a second-up winner with 61kg at Flemington, Group 1 placed behind Sir Delius (Frankel) in the Underwood and runner-up in the Group 2 Crystal Mile.
He is yet to be placed in four runs in his current preparation but Kent Jnr said he’d argue Golden Path, $4.60 with TAB on Wednesday, is going a bit better than it looks on paper.
“You’ve got to kill a couple of runs early before you get him up to the right trip,’’ he said.
“Then we sat second and chased Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) in the Hollindale, well anyone who sits second against Jenni gets killed.
“Then last start we had to work very hard early and wasn’t too bad.
“You can make a case that he’s been going well, I think this should be a nice race. Certainly the easiest race he’s faced in a while so fingers crossed.”
A return to winning form and significant weight drop has Kent Jnr hopeful The Creator (NZ) (Wrote) can step up in the Petaluma Handicap (1500m).
The six-year-old has been working his way into form at midweek level in recent weeks and was able to prevail at Canterbury over 1550m earlier this month.
“He’s massively up in grade but he’s going to go from 60.5kg to 53.5kg with Anna Roper to claim again,’’ Kent Jnr said.
The forecast for some showers leading into the meeting is welcomed by the stable, with The Creator having won four from six on soft ground.
“Any rain that arrives is a real bonus, he wants it toe in without being heavy so it should be perfect for him. He’ll go forward and make his own luck,’’ he said.
“He’s an older horse who hadn’t won very often prior to last start but we think he’s going particularly well at home so it’d be no surprise to see him go well again.”
“Any rain that arrives is a real bonus, he wants it toe in without being heavy so it should be perfect for him. He’ll go forward and make his own luck,’’ he said.
“He’s an older horse who hadn’t won very often prior to last start but we think he’s going particularly well at home so it’d be no surprise to see him go well again.”
Bred by the Wallace family’s Ardsley Stud, Golden Path was purchased for $35,000 from the 2021 Karaka Book 2 Yearling Sale by Pukekohe trainer Michael Rogers. After winning two of his three trials in New Zealand for Rogers, Golden Path was sold to clients of the Price-Kent team.
