Shock Caulfield Guineas winner Mighty Boss will be asked to take on the older horses when he resumes for the 2018 Melbourne Autumn Carnival in the Group 1 $500,000 Ladbrokes C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 10.
Caulfield Guineas winner Mighty Boss, above in yellow and red colours, will take on the older horses in the C.F. Orr Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Mighty Boss caused a major boilover when he arrived at $101 to beat the more fancied three year olds in the Group 1 $2m Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield during the 2017 Melbourne Spring Carnival.
Trainer Mick Price has plenty of faith in the Not A Single Doubt three year old’s ability and is willing to set the flashy colt against the older weight for age horses in the lead up to his main Autumn Carnival goal, the Group 1 $1m Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 3.
“He’s another one we’re trying to add value to,” Price told racing.com.
“He’s a Caulfield Guineas winner – not saying that’s not enough – but need to do more.
“So I reckon I’m going to run him in the C.F. Orr, the Futurity, and then it is seven days into the Australian Guineas for him there.
“I think that’s the best way to go. The Manfred over 1200m will be too short.
“You’ve got to add value to these colts, don’t you?”
Price has also pencilled in the weight for age Group 1 $500,000 italktravel Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 24 for Mighty Boss.
The Caulfield Guineas was only Mighty Boss’s second win from six starts but he did show that he was on the improve at his previous outing when fourth to Showtime in the Group 2 $200,000 Stutt Stakes (1600m) at The Valley a fortnight earlier.
Mighty Boss is currently marked at $17 for the C.F. Orr Stakes and will have to take on the powerful Darren Weir stable who has five top line gallopers above him in the betting at Ladbrokes.com.au, with Tosen Stardom heading the market order at $4.50.
Weir’s other C.F. Orr Stakes horses in contention are Black Heart Bart and Brave Smash at $5, Humidor at $11 and Lucky Hussler at $13.