When A Case of You goes around at Eagle Farm on Saturday he will be hoping to show Australia what he is truly capable of.
Lining up in the Group Two Victory Stakes after a short spell, it will be his second start on Australian soil after a fifth placing in the Group 1 William Reid Stakes five weeks ago.
Trained by Mick Price & Michael Kent, the entire by Hot Streak won two of three races as a two year old including the Group 3 Anglesey Stakes before becoming a two time Group 1 winner on two continents, taking the Prix de l’Abbaye and Al Quoz Sprint last year.
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Before joining the Price and Kent yard he was under the hands of Ado McGuinness, who could not believe where this horse took him.
“I thought I was dreaming last year when we came across this horse. He took me out to Paris and was second in his very first Group One (at Curragh in September 2021),” he said.
“When I walked out of the car that day, I said God it might never happen again and that would be the closest we’ll ever get to a Group One.”
The race the son of Hot Streak conquered was the Group One Qatar Prix de l’Abbaye, beating Air De Valse by a short head.
A Case of You, looking to add to his trophy cabinet in the Victory Stakes, nearly missed a career on the track after originally being deemed unable to pass a health clearance.
“He was sold to Hong Kong and there was a problem with an X-ray or something that they weren’t happy with it,” McGuinness said.
“We went back and we looked at the horse and really liked him and we x-rayed him and got him all done and he passed it, we could find no fault with him.
“He had little nodules that were solid growth things on his knees and after we bought him about six, seven weeks after he’d been x-rayed for America and we couldn’t believe it. He said I can’t find the source. After that, he never took a lame step and we never had a problem.
“He was super harsh to train and then he went on to you know, achieve what he’s achieved.
“Now he will look to keep that going down there with Mick Kent and attend the spring carnival all things going well.”
Now a five year old, A Case Of You has amassed $1.9 million in prize money and has won seven times from 19 starts (19:7-2-3) and will now look to get the monkey off his shoulder to make it three continents for three Group company victories.
A field of eight opponents will challenge him over the 1200m Victory Stakes, led by a pair prepared by Rob Heathcote.
Rothfire last seen running on gamely to finish second in the Listed Ascot Handicap, behind his stablemate who joins him again here in Prince of Boom. He is a consistent performer and winner having also won a Group 2 McEwen Stakes (2022), Group 2 Run to the Rose (2020) and the Group 1 JJ Atkins (2020).
Stablemate Prince of Boom puts the talent of his sire, Spirit of Boom, back on the track for all to see having won the Group Three Gold Coast Guineas on a bog heavy 8 track earlier this year, again partnering with James Orman.
The field is rounded out by the likes of three time Group company winner Private Eye, reigning Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes winner Paulele, three time Group company winner Baller and Magic Millions Sprint winner King of Sparta.
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