News

Ruler plotting Singapore coup

27th Apr 2009

Herald Sun - Tim Habel - Monday, 27 April 2009

MICK Price has won Group 1 races in Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney this season, but he has more territory to conquer before the season ends.

Price will set his sights on the Brisbane winter carnival, while Queen Elizabeth Stakes hero Pompeii Ruler will head to Singapore in search of his first international win in the $2.7 million Singapore Airlines Cup (2000m) on May 17.

The Caulfield trainer is Australia's equal Group 1 leader with Gai Waterhouse.

Price has scored with Gallica (Thousand Guineas), Alamosa (Toorak Handicap) and Heart Of Dreams (Cadbury Guineas) in Melbourne; Bel Mer (Sangster Stakes) and Gallica (Schweppes Oaks) in Adelaide; and now Pompeii Ruler in Sydney.

Melbourne stable foreman Mick Nolan will head to the Gold Coast tomorrow with Light Fantastic, Rightfully Yours, former New Zealander Old Jock, Queen Of Queens and Pompeii Ruler.

Price's team will be housed at the former stables of trainer Gillian Heinrich, now owned by big-spending Nathan Tinkler, who has several horses with Price.

Rightfully Yours, who resumes in Saturday's $125,000 Listed Prime Minister's Cup (1350m) will be set for the $500,000 Doomben 10,000 (1350m) and $1 million Stradbroke (1400m); Light Fantastic for the Stradbroke; and Old Jock for the $500,000 Queensland Derby (2400m).

Queen Of Queens will run in the $300,000 Group 2 Brisbane Cup (2400m).

Nolan explained why Price had been so emotional about Pompeii Ruler's Group 1 win on Saturday.

"He's so tough. If they were sound, he and El Segundo would be the two best horses in the country. He has heat in his legs every day, he lives in bubble boots which we use to cool his legs down," he said.

Nolan said Miss Maren would head home after her Queen Elizabeth Stakes ninth.

The Mike Moroney-trained Sarrera, who dead-heated for second in the Queen Elizabeth, has been invited to run in the Singapore Cup. He will be flown there next Sunday.