Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr did not train Merchant Navy, but he was thrilled to see the colt scale the heights he did due to one of his close mates Tory Dickson being in the ownership.
Dickson was one of several Western Bulldogs AFL players who raced the colt, who won the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes in Australia before and conquering Royal Ascot.
Kent Jnr and Dickson are now hoping they can share in success together with Dickson part of the group who race Touch Of Navy, a son of Merchant Navy, who will make his debut in Wednesday’s $50,000 Ladbroke It Handicap (1300m) for two-year-olds at Sandown.
“He’s owned by one of my best mates (Dickson), who actually had a share in Merchant Navy, so he’s put all his friends in this colt and it’d be nice to see him run well,” Kent Jnr, who trains in partnership with Mick Price, said.
“I’m not entirely sure how the other debutants in the race go yet, but I think he’ll run really well. He’s a nice colt with a big stride and he’s feeling great.”
Touch Of Navy attracted immediate support with TAB, initially posted $6.50 before being backed in to $3.80 favouritism in the first hour of betting. He will jump from barrier six in the field of seven with Mark Zahra to ride.
Touch Of Navy’s preparation has included two 850m jumpouts at Cranbourne; the first resulting in a second placing after sitting just off the speed before an eye-catching fourth placing when he charged home from last early in the straight.
“He’s going to be a really nice three-year-old spring type over a bit more ground, but he gave Mark a nice feel the other day in the jumpout,” Kent Jnr said.
“He lengthened stride beautifully and he’s just gone the right way since. I had a ride on him myself the other day and just thought he had a real spark to him.
“I think things will work out for him the barrier draw, we’ll just give him a bit of room and I think he’ll run really well.”
Touch Of Navy is one of two products of first-season sires that the Price/Kent stable will unleash at Sandown with Maroubra, who is a member of the first crop of horses by Winx’s half-brother Boulder City, to run from the inside gate.
“He’s shown OK ability, he’ll wear the blinkers first time out and he’s looking for 1300 metres and from barrier one I think he’ll be in it for a long way,” Kent Jnr said of the $26 chance who will be ridden by Craig Newitt.
