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| Staff Writer |
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Since taking out a license in 1991, Mick Price has had plenty of smart types through his hands. With 39 Group One winners and over 100 winners sent out season after season, Price knows when he has a good one in his stable.
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That certainly looks to be the case in the shape of Everest contender What You Need. Price has a powerful, young sprinter to go to war with during the Spring Carnivalwho could be open to further progression.
"Look, when we get the feel that one of our horses may be a Group One class, I usually don't mess around too much." The 4YO has only had three races in his life but is unbeaten in those starts, pitched into a Listed contest on the last of those three, the Sunlight Classic on the 25th of March over 1100m at Flemington.
Given his lack of experience going into that contest, he settled proceedings like an old pro, winning with more in hand than the official margin of a length would suggest. The third that day (Benedetta) has gone into plenty of notebooks since she won on her return from a spell at Flemington in early August.
Price pulls no punches regarding the uphill fight that his star Colt faces when getting into the Randwick feature. One of his potential issues is that "the time between runs has not been great for him. He's had too long off, in my opinion, and I'm short on being able to condition him, but we're going in on a preparation which leaves no margin for error."
Put away in the autumn, trying to plan a campaign for the spring with the clock ticking for Randwick will be a challenge. Add to that that "he's probably the most lightly raced horse in the field, the least experienced", and you could be forgiven for thinking that Price is a little lukewarm on his chances, or at least a touch coy and does not want anyone going overboard about the chance of his potential star. The lack of experience is undoubtedly a possible stumbling block when facing hardened sprinters.
Price admits that "I wouldn't have bought him", but his training partner Michael Kent Jnris a big fan of the horse's sire Supidowho his father trained. Price relented and agreed to buy this Colt from the sire's second crop, even though he felt the Colt was a high enough price given the sire, but a sales price of $180,000 now looks like a bargain. Of course, hindsight is a beautiful thing in this regard.
Price is quick to share positives about his charge as well. "Mentally, he's beautiful, he's 16.1 hands high, he's got speed, he's got stamina, got a beautiful set of lungs on him, got a big, deep girth, he's got a lovely big stride on him. We've kept him to big tracks at this stage because he's quite a sizeable horse."
His size catches the eye with him as an observer, especially when coupled with so few races under his belt. It is hard to believe that What You Need has got anywhere close to the peak of his ability, given his frame, which should worry his rivals.
It is undoubtedly true that many potential runners in The Everesthave achieved more in their careers so far, but there are very few with the future potential that Price's Colt brings to the table. No surprise that after his March win, he was as short as $11 to win The Everest though his price is out to more like double that at present.
There is no guaranteed slot for What You Need in the Everest at this point - he will need to earn his way in. Price is under no illusion that this is going to be the most challenging part of the task, but he has long-term thoughts for the future with him wherever he ends up.
"As a 4YO, you know, we're always thinking, can we get a home for him at stud? So this spring, look, if we can't do the job in The Everest or don't actually get the slot, we need to make a group one sprinting Colt out of this horse. So, he's not going to go past 1200 meters. We do have a plan for him."
It would be the strongest field he has faced if he gets in at Randwick on the 14th of October, and as Price said, "We'll face the challenge and do our best". Nobody can ask more of What You Need or Price himself than that.
By Scott McGlynn