It wouldn’t quite rate alongside Mick Price’s most stunning Caulfield Guineas upset, but he suspects Public Attention (NZ) (Written Tycoon) will live up to his name in Saturday’s $3 million classic.
Public Attention is one of numerous three-year-olds who are in the sizeable Guineas shadow cast by odds-on favourite Broadsiding, but Price has faced similar odds in the classic, when 100-1 chance Mighty Boss thwarted the Godolphin charge of hot favourite Kementari in 2017.
“Broadsiding is second-up and he’s got to go interstate and there have been a few go by the wayside in recent weeks,” Price said.
“John O’Shea’s horse (Linebacker) has been gelded and he’s out and Storm Boy is going back to sprinting, so from a month ago to what it is now, it is a little bit more open bar one.”
Public Attention has raced just three times and was last start nosed out in the Caulfield Guineas Prelude by the smart Clinton McDonald-trained Angel Capital.
“He’s not had a lot of luck in his races and his form is OK,” Price said. “He ran super the other day behind Clinton’s horse (Angel Capital).
“He stuck on good twice with no cover. There was his first start and then the other day, so he’s shown some stamina to tough it out.
“He’s ready to go, I can’t do any more with him, he’s spot on.”
“He doesn’t have much luck in races that horse and I did say to Ethan Brown, I said, ‘Boy, you’re due, you’re due to give me a good ride’.
“It’s a Caulfield Guineas and if we just get the nice run in the race, he’ll be in the finish.”
Public Attention is at $21 in Sportsbet’s market.
Price and Michael Kent Jnr will also saddle up classy mare Charm Stone in the G3 Northwood Plume Stakes, which will be her first run since last year’s Golden Rose Stakes in Sydney.
Charm Stone has had two jumpouts and an official trial ahead of her comeback run this weekend.
“I don’t think I can get her to improve without racing her,” Price said.
“I’d be surprised if she all of a sudden came out and attacked the line and won but I need to get her racing, get her up there and get her adrenalised and get her back in the groove of things, so she might be a bit rusty first-up but as long as she runs well and I can see some improvement in her, that’d be good.”
