Amenable to be tested in Memsie Stakes

Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr are not afraid to throw their horses into the deep end, providing they have the talent.

For that reason, the stable has elected to tackle Group 1 company with Amenable when he lines-up against some of the nation’s best in the Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

After a first-up win at Caulfield on August 19 at benchmark 84 level, Amenable could have headed to a benchmark 100 race on Saturday over the same distance as the Memsie, but Price reasoned even a placing in the weight-for-age contest will do the four-year-old more good than harm for the future.

The Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield on October 14 is the Melbourne spring goal for Amenable before the entire heads to the Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill three weeks later.

It’s the same path Price and Kent Jnr followed with I’m Thunderstruck in 2021, although that galloper got his ‘ratings boost’ by placing in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) prior to the Toorak Handicap.

The Sir Rupert Clarke has this year moved to a date after the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

“I’m running in the Memsie because if you have a good horse going well, I always err on the side of ambition rather than caution,” Price said.

“I want to get him in the Toorak, so if he runs a place in the Group 1, his rating will go up a fair way.

“We did this with I’m Thunderstruck when he was just an average rating horse.

“He just got a run in the Sir Rupert Clarke, which got him a run in the Toorak which then gave him his ticket into all the good races.”

Amenable has raced on eight occasions for two wins and two placings, but has run in five Stakes races, with his two placings coming at Group level as a three-year-old.

Price and Kent Jnr will also be represented by Annavisto who is resuming from a spell.

Annavisto has excellent first-up credentials at 1400m winning the past two running’s of the Frances Tressady Stakes at Flemington, but this will be her first test against the males at Group 1 level.

Now a six-year-old, Annavisto has not raced since finishing last in the Group 1 Coolmore Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill in March.

“She might have lost some of her aggression, but I still think she is going well enough,” Price said.

“Bill Frost bought some of the owners out as a majority share and I think his plan is to mate her win, lose or draw and maybe have one or two more runs if she gets in foal.”