Price, Kent look to increase presence in Sydney

Golden Path’s McKell Cup win was the latest chapter in the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr Sydney success story for 2023/24 and the bad news for trainers permanently-based in the Harbour City is the team is hoping to quadruple its numbers there.

The training partnership, whose main base is at Cranbourne, is currently operating out of six borrowed boxes at Rosehill, which are overseen by Ben Elam.

Price and Kent have won three Stakes races since setting up base during the Autumn Carnival, which has inspired Price to want a permanent presence with his own 24-horse stable.

“I’ve got a nice little barn but I’ve only got six horses there and I’m waiting on a barn so I can be a permanent resident,” Price said.

“I’ve got good staff up there. Ben Elam is doing a good job.

“I’ve always liked Sydney racing and I’m just waiting on a (bigger) barn.”

Golden Path’s Listed win last Saturday was his second in a row in Sydney and was Price and Kent’s fifth win from 31 starters in New South Wales this season with Wee Nessy’s Group 2 Sapphire Stakes success the biggest.

They also won the Listed Gosford Gold Cup with Hezashocka, while Amenable finished runner-up in the Group 1 All Aged Stakes.

Another of their Sydney winners is The Creator, who was successful last time out at Canterbury, and the Kiwi recruit will chase another victory at the same venue this Wednesday.

They have one runner nominated for this Saturday’s Randwick meeting, Loco, who is a chance to contest the benchmark 78 event over 2000m.

Price and Kent are set to raise the bar further with Golden Path, who made it back-to-back wins at 2000 metres and now boasts a record of four wins from 11 starts.

“He ate up the 2000 metres,” Price said of the son of four-year-old son of Belardo.

“He was an 87-rater, he goes to a Listed race and probably gets 12 points now, so he’s got to be Black Type all the way.”