Trainer Mick Price is aiming for a fourth Australian Guineas victory with Planet Red, despite acknowledging the challenge posed by recent rival Observer in the Group 1 race at Flemington on Saturday.
Price, who previously secured wins in the Australian Guineas with Light Fantastic (2008), Heart Of Dreams (2009), and Grunt (2018), concedes that overcoming Observer will require a near-perfect performance from his gelding. He also finished second with Tarzino in 2016.
“He’s a nice, uncomplicated gelding and he’ll show up, but everything will have to go right for us to turn it around on Observer,” Price said, adding that he believes Observer is currently the stronger horse. “My opinion is no I can’t (beat Observer) but that is not how we’re training him. My opinion is Observer is the clear great horse, and we are there to do our best.”
Planet Red and Observer have faced each other three times. Planet Red won their first encounter in a Pakenham maiden last May. Observer then gained the upper hand, winning both the Moonee Valley Vase and the Victoria Derby. Most recently, Observer triumphed in the Group 2 Autumn Stakes at Caulfield on February 7, with Planet Red finishing second after making a late run from the back of the field.
In the Autumn Stakes, Planet Red received a 2kg allowance from Observer, but the horses will meet at equal weights in the Australian Guineas. Price noted that Planet Red’s first-up run against Observer was strong, despite the defeat. “We rode our horse cold first-up and I thought it was a very good run, a long-sustained run,” he said. He hopes Planet Red can secure a more forward position in Saturday’s race.
The rivalry between the two horses is currently one win apiece, excluding Planet Red’s second-place finish in last year’s Caulfield Guineas where he was beaten by Autumn Boy.
