If Mick Price has his way, victory in the Australian Guineas could be the last race start for Jacquinot.
The Mick Price and Michael Kent-Jnr-trained three-year-old is already a dual Group 1 winner and success in Saturday’s Group 1 race over 1600m at Flemington would add to his stud value.
Jacquinot won the Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill in the spring and scored in the Group 1 C F Orr Stakes (1400m) at Sandown on protest at his most recent start and Price is conscious of protecting the colt’s future stud value.
“If he won the Australian Guineas, that’s three Group 1s and he’d be a prestigious stud colt,” Price said.
“He’ll have won two Group 1 1400 metre races, one at open age and he’d be a mile Group 1 winner.
“You need to be careful that you don’t muck around with the perception of a stud colt.
“If he won the Australian Guineas, I would be saying ‘why not get out on a high’.”
Price said he would be loath to run Jacquinot in the All Star Mile, believing pop-up races, with the exception of The Everest, do little to enhance a horse’s stud profile.
If Jacquinot was to race on during the autumn, Price said he would entertain thoughts of running the colt in the Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick in April, although he is wary of wet tracks in Sydney at this time of the year.
“I would look at an All-Aged Stakes with him, but he’s not a good wet tracker, especially at Randwick where it can get deep, whereas at Rosehill they can get across it,” Price said.
Jacquinot had a few quiet days at the water-walker at Monomeith Stud following his Orr win before having his work stepped up again.
Price and Kent will also run Maximillius, third behind Elliptical in the Group 3 C S Hayes Stakes (1400m) at Flemington last week along with Amenable, second to Glint Of Silver in Group 2 Autumn Stakes (1400m) at Sandown on February 11, in Saturday’s Guineas.
“He went really well in a trial on Monday,” Price said of Amenable.