Mick Price is determined to keep the dream of The Everest alive for his promising colt Guest House, despite the horse’s recent defeat in the Golden Rose.
The Golden Slipper winner experienced his first unplaced run in Saturday’s Group 1 race, finishing sixth and over five lengths behind the victorious Warwoven in a rough contest for three-year-olds.
Price and his training partner Michael Kent Jnr were disappointed with the outcome, particularly as Guest House was a short-priced favourite. However, Price stated that the colt’s recovery from the race means there is no reason to abandon their original strategy.
“My opinion was to keep The Everest alive, as you would,” Price said when asked about his immediate feedback to Guest House’s owners, which include Coolmore Stud.
“I’ll probably send him to Mount White, the Coolmore facility there, where he goes in the cold water and has a freshen up and then you’ve got three weeks back into The Everest.
“I think it’ll work good. If they don’t want to do it fair enough, but that’s what I’d been doing.”
The $20 million Group 1 The Everest (1200m), expected to feature Hong Kong’s standout sprinter Ka Ying Rising, will be held at Randwick on October 17.
Guest House was involved in a bumping incident with St Gotthard in the middle stages of the Golden Rose. Price was relieved to see him emerge from his first attempt at 1400 metres in better shape than he did after winning the Group 3 San Domenico Stakes (1100m) on his debut.
“He trotted out good and he pulled up better this morning than he did after the San Domenico,” Price confirmed from Caulfield on Sunday.
“He had no joy in running, there was some fairly aggressive riding going on there, and he didn’t appreciate it when they sat up midfield and he got on heels.
“Then he went to come out on him and got hip-and-shouldered back in and overraced.
“The winner was great, to be fair, but I think 1400 is inconclusive based on yesterday.”
Guest House is currently priced at $15 on the third line of The Everest betting, behind favourite Ka Ying Rising and last year’s runner-up Tempted. Check out online bookmakers for the latest market movements.