Mick Price is likely to have three runners in the Blue Diamond Stakes on Saturday week, Extreme Choice, Flying Artie and China Dream.

The Caulfield trainer is in a strong position, he has two outstanding colts, he is playing his cards close to his chest, he is not declaring one colt above the other, except to say they are two darn good youngsters to appear in the same season.

Extreme Choice is really a lovely chestnut colt with a heap of talent; he blitzed his rivals in Sydney at Randwick and gave a repeat performance at Caulfield in the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes.

He has an ideal speed pedigree but didn’t over utilize it, just a preview of what he is capable of, he won by four and a half lengths and did it with ease.

Whether he will get the extra 200 metres Mick Price is not concerned about that, he is a free running youngster.

Now that Damien Oliver has declared he will ride Flying Artie, in preference to Extreme Choice, markets could alter as Oliver has quite a following.

Obviously Oliver may see more likely improvement in Flying Artie and the additional distance an important factor.

Price had a lot to say during the week leading into the Prelude concerning Flying Artie, and the colt didn’t let the boss down, the colt gave a stellar performance.

After drawing the outside gate, the start was delayed when Ambitious Ex had to be finally scratched, it put pressure on Flying Artie, he was beginning to get a bit warm with the delay that was taking place.

Price was singing the praises of the colt, and rightly so, he has a lot of potential, it was an outstanding win, he didn’t cop any favours.

“He is strong, the Blue Diamond 1200 metres will suit him, he only needs to draw a gate, I think he will benefit from today, his work has been good, he is a red hot chance in the Diamond,” said Price.

“He came out of the gates strong, had he drawn well he would have been box seating, all is going well,” he added

Flying Artie wins the Prelude.

Heatherly on track for plate

Heatherly gave her rivals such a thrashing in the Group 2 Schweppes Rubiton Stakes, those with intentions of opposing her in the forthcoming Oakleigh Plate may as well remain at home.

After bouncing clear from the starting gate, if there were any doubts about the result they were quickly erased, she travelled sweetly to the home turn before drawing away to score by five lengths, and was still full of running on the line, nothing was taking any ground from her.

Heatherley is raced by Barrie Griffiths, and his wife Midge, they have raced quite a number of good horses over a long period, preferring to race fillies, they have been blessed with the Midas touch, recalling the era of Mannerism, Northwood Plume and others, yet they are not considered breeders.

Mannerism was a very good race mare winning the Caulfield Cup and the Futurity Stakes, she put gold cups each end of the mantel piece in the dining room of their home, and in the middle the Melbourne Cup, won by Tawrriffic.

Heatherley winning the Rubiton in a breeze.

Mahuta goes from strength to strength

Mahuta turned in another dazzling performance when leading from barrier to box, taking out the thick end of the prize in the Group 2 Hyland Autumn Stakes.

He is a remarkable colt, it has been pay day ever since early October when he won at Kyneton, and has won five times since then.

Mahuta is a highly, very talented colt, the Australian Guineas would not be beyond him, he has won at Flemington over 1600 metres on Derby day, and if Darren Weir decides to go that way, which is possible, he is in it up to his ears.

Sailing By, out the Mick Price yard, turned in a sound performance, she has her hoof right on the till, she was first up since the Manifold Stakes in October, she was taking ground off the winner.

The Victoria Derby winner, Tarzino, came from last to run an encouraging fourth, he will improve a ton on that run, Flemington will suit him for the Australian Guineas and fit him for his principal mission, the Australian Derby at Royal Randwick.

Mahuta still winning 

Suavito show her class

Suavito returned to racing in a blaze of glory in winning the Group 1 C F Orr Stakes, after being off the scene for 10 months, due to an injury sustained in the Doncaster Handicap in April of last year.

An amazing effort by an ever diligent trainer in Nigel Blakiston, he has not only returned the mare to racing, she has won at Group 1, taking her record to eight wins, and has crossed the million dollar barrier in stake earnings .

She defeated the best horses in training at present, while some will naturally be improved by the outing, so will she, being off the scene for so long it was a remarkable return to racing.

Suavito back to her best in winning the Orr Stakes

“After drawing barrier one I knew she would get a nice run, she was on her toes in the mounting yard, she knew what she was there for, a long plan ahead awaits her, she is much stronger, the injury was small, with patience it has cleared up, we decided to miss the spring and bring her back for the early autumn,” said a happy trainer, Nigel Blackiston.

Provided Hucklebuck doesn’t bump into Suavito along the way, he is on track for a good autumn, outside of the winner his run in the Orr was excellent, Boban didn’t have much luck on the fence, whilst Lucky Hussler was blocked in at the top of straight, and as for Happy Trails, he looks to be a light of other days.

Nigel Blakiston 

Darren Weir, Victoria’s leading thoroughbred trainer, is caught between a rock and a hard place, with little room to move, concerning his staying star, Signoff, and the pain killing drug ibuprofen.

Weir is more than conscious of the impending ramifications of a positive swab, he is not likely to play Russian roulette, he has too much to lose for so little to gain.

He is the only country trainer in Australia to have won two state premierships, and on course to make it a treble.

Weir has a remarkable strike rate, he seldom throws a horse in at the deep end, he is conscious of showing a return for his owners, that is a major factor for his success as a trainer.

Signoff is a very good horse, close to being the best stayer in Australia that has never been questioned.

However you cannot give up on 150 horses on two properties at Ballarat and Warrnambool,

Ibuprofen is a pain killing drug used to treat tendon problems, with good results, but obviously can have different effects on some horses in various forms, in this case Signoff is a prime example, it seems the drug has lingered longer in the body than expected.

Signoff is believed to be among other horses that have tested positive to the drug.

Signoff is badly in need of a run if he is going to campaign in Adelaide, which is his intended autumn mission.

However, Weir must be absolutely positive when the horse appears at the races, irrespective of where it may be, all horses must be presented drug free.

Trainers are responsible, they are the scapegoats, they have the licence, they are riding on the thin edge of the wedge, they are basically on their own.

There is a call that if veterinary surgeons are treating race horses, they should be registered and held responsible to Racing Victoria for the treatment of the horse, and drugs used in that treatment of the horse must be witnessed by the trainer or a nominated person.

Furthermore, all products pertaining to horse tonics ect. should have the stamp approval of Racing Victoria, it would be a big job no doubt but a huge saving in legal fees.

Connections of Signoff and Darren Weir

Mark Riley admitted he has had his problems with Grande Rosso, however, they are just a memory now, evidenced by the gelding’s brilliant win in the Mel Seccull Handicap.

After drawing a good gate he settled in well behind the leader, Rose Of Texas who had to be ridden hard before reaching the lead.

The winner, Grande Rosso ,was always there waiting to be called upon, Stephen Baster didn’t appear to be concerned, he was playing a waiting game, he had a lot of horse underneath him.

The gelding has been sparingly raced, this was just his 14^th start, he will be further improved with Mark likely to try, and ultimately to get him out, to 2000 metres.

Riley commenced training at Caulfield where he had success with Mookta winning the Oakleigh Plate and the Newmarket Handicap, he has since moved to Mornington where he is well established.

He may well be the only person that rode an Oakleigh Plate winner, the brilliant filly, Mistress Anne, and some years later in 1993 trained Mookta to win the 1100 metres scamper at the Heath.

His riding career blossomed, on the central coast of New South Wales, when he rode Mistress Anne to defeat Luskin Star on his home track in the Northern Slipper at Broadmeadow (Newcastle), both started equal favourite at 5-4 in a field of nine runners..

Luskin Star went on to win the Golden Slipper, the only defeat he suffered in nine starts was at the hands of Mistress Anne.

Grande Rosso winning the Mal Seccull Hcp

Caulfield Guineas victor, Press Statement, is right on track for a successful Autumn campaign.

He will open his account in the time honoured Hobartville Stakes on Saturday week, followed up by the Guineas at Royal Randwick.

It could be in the balance if he goes to stud as a four year old, or waits for another year to fit Royal Ascot into his itinerary.

Whilst Royal Ascot is a prestigious event it gives an entire enormous exposure on the world stage, if he happens to win at the Royal fixture, he would be readily accepted on the shuttle service.

Press Statement has a pretty good record, five wins to date of which two were at Group 1 level.

The Group 2 Hobartville Stakes is among the oldest races run in Sydney, named after a long standing stud overlooking the rich flats, where the Grose River joins the Nepean to become the Hawkesbury.

Press Statement winning the Caulfield Guineas

Extreme Choice has staked his claim on the $1.5 million Blue Diamond Stakes, to be decided in three weeks, after an effortless win in the Group3 Chairman’s Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.

Bookmakers installed him as favourite after he won the $500,000 restricted race at Randwick in early December, the only likely change to the market is that his price has tightened further, as would be expected, he has the score on the board, naturally his price will shorten, he is unbeaten after two starts and has spaced his opposition on each occasion.

There were two important features that impressed about his win on Saturday, he didn’t fly out like a scalded cat, he allowed Mandee to lead him into the race before he took over, whilst on the home turn he accelerated with ease to run out an impressed winner

The impression given there was more there than what was exposed; he still had a bit up his sleeve.

He is a lovely horse and an exciting colt, he has a great turn of foot, he must gain further benefit from Saturday’s win.

Mick Price compared Extreme Choice to Samaready, a filly he won the Blue Diamond with previously, saving, “ these types of horses you don’t have to do a lot with,” he added, apparently it just a matter of keeping them fresh

Extreme Choice - Favourite for the Blue Diamond