News

Price has the instinct for the Merson Cooper Stakes

10th Nov 2010

Racenet - Brad Waters - Wednesday, 10 November 2010

Top trainer Mick Price has a chance to continue his strong recent record in the Listed Merson Cooper Stakes (1000m) when the well-bred Instinction debuts in Saturday’s running of the two-year-old feature at Sandown.

Price has successfully targeted the Listed juvenile race in the past two seasons, winning the $100,000 race in 2008 with Corsaire before Sublime Girl finished third for the stable in last year’s Merson Cooper Stakes.

Price paid $300,000 for the colt in conjunction with Blue Sky Thoroughbreds at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale; the trainer said the son of Exceed And Excel has pleased the team with his progress to date.

“I think in time he’s a going to be a really nice horse but he’s going to go around in a hot race on Saturday,” Price said.

“He’s done everything right so far but I think he might be a better horse at 1200 or 1400 metres later in his two-year-old season.

“I expect him to be reasonably competitive but I also think he would benefit from the experience and more ground.”

Instinction is the first foal to race out of the Encosta De Lago mare De Lago Mist who was a Group II winner as a two-year-old in the VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) in 2006.

De Lago Mist was also good enough to win the Group III Breeders’ Stakes in Adelaide before she finished fourth in the Group I AJC Sires’ Produce Stakes as well as the AJC Champagne Stakes.

Craig Newitt will ride Instinction in the Merson Cooper Stakes at Sandown.