Mick Price was the toast of Caulfield on Australia Day with a stakes race double but he wasn’t there to celebrate.
In Price’s best day at the track for some time, his filly Malasun stormed into Blue Diamond calculations with a win in the Listed fillies Preview (1000m) before stablemate Instinction took out the Listed Zeditave Stakes (1200m).
Price is in New Zealand ahead of the Karaka Premier Yearling sale next week but was ably backed up by stable foreman Mick Nolan.
Nolan saddled up Malasun ($8.50), ridden by Damien Oliver, then some 35 minutes later Instinction, the longest priced runner in the Zeditave at $20, caused an upset in the three-year-old feature aided by a lovely ride from Craig Newitt.
Instinction’s Zeditave victory gave him a hat-trick of wins following victories in a Kyneton maiden and the Listed Hilton Hotels Stakes at Flemington last spring.
He is headed towards the Group One Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 3.
Price has won the Australian Guineas twice with Light Fantastic (2008) and Heart Of Dreams (2009).
Newitt had the colt perfectly poised in behind the leader Petman after jumping from barrier two in the nine-horse field.
Instinction got up on the inside when Petman hung out in the straight and went on to score by 1-3/4 lengths from Specter ($13) with Petman ($7) a long head away third.
Newitt revealed that Instinction had pleased him in a recent jump out at Caulfield won by world champion sprinter Black Caviar.
“He stood her up 15 lengths and got beat five or six,” Newitt said.
“He’s had a few problems but he’s come back really good.
“He’s been handy but keeps improving with every preparation.
“He ran just off the placegetters in last year’s Blue Diamond Prelude.”
Newitt is having a great season, having ridden 101 winners so far.
He chalked up the 100 when he completed a double aboard Barysh Quest in the Listed Hobart Guineas (2100m) last Sunday.
He has ridden 93 winners in Victoria so far this season to lead nearest rival Dean Yendall by 21, and has landed eight winners in Tasmania.
On Thursday he joined Luke Nolen on 32 to be equal leader in the race for the Melbourne jockeys’ premiership, three ahead of Dwayne Dunn who won the opening race on the Team Hawks-trained Rainbow Styling.
Price’s only other runner at the Caulfield meeting, Vivid Vixen, finished tenth of 11 to Caulfield Cup winner Southern Speed in the Listed John Dillon Stakes (1400m).
