A planned tilt at the Ipswich Cup, for which Golden Path was well-supported in the market, has been shelved by co-trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, who have instead opted for a Sydney sojourn this Saturday.

The six-year-old is among the acceptors for the Listed WJ McKell Cup (2000m) at Rosehill, aiming to replicate his 2024 performance when he won the race.

“It was too difficult from barrier 15 of 15 in the Ipswich Cup,” Kent Jnr commented.

Golden Path has not recorded a victory since September last year, when he won an open handicap at Flemington. However, his record over the subsequent eight starts includes a third in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield and a second in the Group 2 Crystal Mile (1600m) at Moonee Valley.

“His problem is that he’s earned himself a fairly high rating without winning anything gangbusters,” he added.

“That group one placing in the Underwood, he’s always going to get top weight in these winter handicaps so it does pose some problems because he hasn’t been able to take that next step.

His latest run saw the gelding take charge into the straight during the Group 3 Lord Mayor’s Cup (1800m) at Eagle Farm on May 30, only to be run down late and finish fifth.

“He had to do a lot of work in that race, and he still stuck on with it quite bravely so I think if you have a soft draw and a soft run in transit, then he’d go close.

“Though if he was giving weight to a smart, progressive young stayer then they might be hard to hold out.”

With the WJ McKell Cup on the horizon, racing odds are becoming available at Australian betting sites.