The barrier draw may have further complicated the richest race in Australia this Saturday for many hopefuls, but trainer Mick Price suspects the rather aptly-named Gold Rush at Ascot might pan out perfectly for his runner Ayrton.
Price said on Thursday that the expected high-pressure race, named in honor of Damien Oliver’s final race ride, would likely to suit Ayrton as long as he can ultimately get a clear run when it mattered most.
“Just looking at the race, it’s a very busy race,” Price said. “I think they’ll go boot-scooting out of the gates, as a lot of horses that take a position have drawn out, like Dom To Shoot, Valour Road and Bustler.
“We will go forward to be off the fence and off the pace. We don’t need to lead and we don’t need to get back; we’ve drawn a gate (11) where we can take advantage of being off the speed and off the fence.
“I think it’s ideal.
“But it’s a race with a lot of traffic and foremost, I am hoping for a clean run. If he gets buffeted or held up, it won’t be too good because he’s a momentum-type of horse.
“I have a lot of respect for those tough Perth horses that are going around. They are tough horses and it’s a tough race to win, but we’ve trained on good and we’re in good condition, so we get our chance to be competitive.”
Sportsbet has Ayrton marked a $9.50 chance behind the three-year-old favourites Ripcord ($6.50), Super Smink ($7) and the well-backed veteran Comfort Me ($8).
Oliver’s mount Munhamek has drifted out to $10 after drawing poorly in gate 17.
