The Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr-trained Gunstock has smashed his rivals in the Group 3 Coongy Cup over 2000m on a deteriorating track at Caulfield. Jamie Kah rode Gunstock out of the barrier and came across the field from barrier 12 to sit outside the leader, Johnny Get Angry, which was somewhat out of this geldings comfort zone.
Gunstock was really good last start at Flemington first-up over 1630m on a Heavy track, which ended up setting him up perfectly for today’s run on what have proved to be another Heavy track. This son of Tavistock was heavily backed all morning, jumping at $2.40 with online bookmakers, and when they turned the bend and he was three lengths clear, the race was over.
2022 Coongy Cup Replay
Mick Price spoke after the race, where he agreed that the race went exactly the way he thought it would pre-race.
“A couple of scratchings came out which made it nice and obviously Denis’s horse (Johnny Get Angry) taking us into the race was good.
“He was still nicely on the bridle and the soft track was good.” Mick Price was very happy with how things played out on the day for Gunstock.
“He’s not a bad horse. You know after a VRC Derby, 2500m, we just had to clean him up after that but I think he’s got a good 2400m race in him. Whether that be Bendigo or Geelong or the last day of the carnival (Flemington).”
After receiving a pat on the back from Mick Price, Jamie Kah explained that she was a little worried if she got to the front too soon on her mount.
“The way I was travelling I was worried that I was gonna get there too soon. I really wanted something just to track into the turn.
“But he has taken a lot of improvement since his first-up run and we knew he would.” Kah said after the race about how confident she was in Gunstock being fit enough to run out the distance in testing conditions.
“He wouldn’t have blown a candle out then the way he pulled up. That was just too easy for him.
“Its just very heavy out there. They are really struggling to pick their feet up and get through it… You wanna be thereabouts on the turn otherwise you’re not gonna pick them up.” Jamie Kah also explained after the race that this Caulfield track is very heavy already.
Mick Price suggested after the race that Gunstock could potentially go to a Bendigo Cup or Geelong Cup next in a couple of weeks time.
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