Mighty Boss produced the biggest upsets in the history of the 2017 Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas to take out the Group 1 event at Caulfield this afternoon.
Mighty Boss recorded an upset win in the 2017 Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas. Photo by: Ultimate Racing Photos
Mighty Boss was not even confirmed a start in the Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas before Summer Passage was scratched from the race earlier in the week, but the lightly-raced galloper took advantage of his opportunity in the most emphatic of fashion.
It looked as though Kementari and Catchy would fight out the finish in the Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas, but Mighty Boss snuck up on the inside and proved too strong for his rivals in the final stages of the race.
Jockey Michael Walker produced an absolute peach of a ride to get Mighty Boss home in the Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas, but the colourful hoop was surprisingly modest after the race and was quick to pay credit to trainer Mick Price, who has helped him comeback from a lengthy stint on the sidelines.
“I need to really thank Mick Price and all of his staff,” Walker said.
“This time when I came back from all of my injuries, I have been doing a lot of work there every Tuesday and I said to Mick the other day ‘other chance of putting me on a good one’ and he said that he didn’t have any.
“It is a huge thrill – it is my first Group 1 for Mick and he has always been a great supporter and I really appreciate the opportunity.
“The last three years I’ve had six months on, two months on, six months on and two months off.
“I’ve had operation after operation and my weight has got out of control.
“My body is strong, I’m fit, I’m light and I’m hungry.”
Mighty Boss went into the Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas with only the one race win on his racing resume, but Price always had an opinion of the colt and was confident he would develop into a high-quality racehorse.
“We never gave up on him,” Price said.
“I wanted to target the race a long way out, but he has been quiet a fat horse and he has taken each run to get a little bit better.
“I liked him as a yearling and he was a little bit flashy, which isn’t the sort of horse we would normally buy but we thought that it would put a few good judges off.
“It throws up a little bit of magic this race.”
Kementari and Catchy were not disgraced in the placings, while Royal Symphony was never able to get into the finish.
