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By Ray Hickson

If Island Dec is going to be a player in the autumn fillies features then it’s not unreasonable for co-trainer Luke Price to expect her to end her preparation with a win at Randwick on Tuesday.

Trainer Luke Price

She’s already dipped the toe in the water in stakes company tackling the Group 3 Reginald Allen (1400m) on Everest Day and Price said it showed she has a future at that level.

Instead of chasing another stakes race he said he likes what should be a softer option of the Agency Real Estate Handicap (1300m) because she still has a few things to learn.

"I’ve got a lot of confidence in the horse, back to 1300m in a big field I like,’’ Price said.

“I was tempted to go around at Flemington but I thought to keep her in the three and four-year-old 64 range and take away those experienced mares.

“She still wants to do things wrong but she learned a lot the other day.”

Island Dec, $5.00 with TAB on Sunday, was only beaten 1-1/2 lengths by Aeliana, who has since won again, and Price is adamant she should have finished closer.

But he liked how the filly found the line after spending a good portion of the straight trying to get across heels and wind up.

“She found a lot of trouble in that race but came through it really well,’’ he said.

“There was no speed in that race the other day. Craig (Williams) got off and said he should have just followed JMac, which in hindsight he should have, and it might have been a different story where we finished.”

Further merit to her run in stakes company was that Island Dec was up 400m in trip having won a 1000m Benchmark 64 on a heavy Kembla Grange first-up.

“It was an ask for a three-year-old filly going from 1000m to 1400m and still being raw,’’ he said.

“There looks to be enough speed in the race and she’ll likely get a bit of room from out there.

“This is her last run this prep, she’ll have a bit of time off and look for the autumn.”

The dream would be for Island Dec to find herself in the Group 1 Surround Stakes (1400m) early next year, via the Light Fingers Stakes, so a win on Tuesday will help improve her rating.

While the three-year-old is only just starting out, her evergreen stablemate Cuban Royale is closer to the end of his career but Price is convinced there’s still a big run or two in him.

The 10-year-old, who turns 10 by birthdate on November 30, might well be in for a farewell at The Gong meeting later this month, for now he’s been freshened up since taking on the likes of Ostraka, Ceolwulf and Tom Kitten this preparation.

Island Dec's last start at Randwick on October 19

“We said last year we’d make the Gong his hurrah but he ran so well,’’ he said.

“We want to keep him competitive and we always said once he loses his form and we’re not happy with him he’ll be retired.

“But he turns up for work every day, licks the bin, and gets around like a three-year-old. He worked on the grass on Saturday and it was just a winning gallop.”

All the fields, form and replays for Tuesday’s Big Dance meeting at Randwick