Latest News

By Ray Hickson

It might seem a long bow to draw between an 11 start maiden and a 10 time winner but trainer Robert Price can see a bit of stable warhorse Cuban Royale in three-year-old Mega Fight.

Trainer Robert Price (Pic: Bradley Photos)

The latter has collected $42,000 and change while the former is stakes winner with over $825,000 in the bank - if Price is correct about the parallels then Mega Fight's future is bright.

After a luckless last start second at Hawkesbury last month, Price can see plenty of positives about Mega Fight going into the De Bortoli Wines Plate (1500m) at the same track on Thursday and hopes start 12 is the lucky one.

“You’d like to think so, a lot of people bag him out as a non winner,’’ he said.

“Old Cuban Royale took nine starts to break through and look what he’s done. It wasn’t us working him out, it was him working out what he was supposed to be doing.

“Look at him now, he’s rising 10 years old and attacked the line on Saturday like a tiger.

“We know there’s plenty of natural ability there with Mega Fight, we know he handles a soft track.”

Mega Fight, $6 with TAB on Wednesday, has been an odds-on favourite in his past two defeats including a narrow one at Newcastle 10 days before his Hawkesbury second where he went home with a decent excuse.

The gelding missed the start by over five lengths and went down by under 1-1/2 lengths to Another Fortune leaving Price to wonder what might have been.

On that occasion he drew the inside barrier and Price, who co-trains with son Luke, feels he might have been waiting around for the jump for too long and became restless, something that shouldn’t happen from a wider alley.

“It was a freakish thing, he’s kicked when the gates opened and got his hoof wedged in the back of the barriers,’’ he said.

“There’s too much time for him to think, he gets in there dancing around and feeling busy, he always wants to be on the go. He won’t be in there for long this time.

“I’m not going to panic in regard to Mega Fight, the owners haven’t lost faith in the horse. I’m hoping everything falls into place.”

Fugitiva is likely to take her place in the Weddings @ HRC Plate (1300m) as she aims to break through at start six, though Price would prefer a drier track.

The filly has been placed in four of her five starts and was beaten half a length by stablemate Madam Rupee at Kembla Grange three weeks ago.

“She only went there with one trial the other day and the stablemate beat her and I think this filly goes just as well,’’ he said.

“Her form was really consistent in her first prep and we probably went one too many times to the well.

Mega Fight runs second at Hawkesbury on June 25

“She’s come back really well, I don’t particularly think she’s going to appreciate the wet track but they’ve all got to get through it.”

Stablemate Asteride is also engaged in the race, she hasn’t raced for a month since a fifth behind I Found You at Kensington, and Price said it’s likely only one will run.

All the fields, form and replays for Thursday’s Hawkesbury meeting