Last Highway jump for trainer Robert Price
South Coast trainer Robert Price says he will miss the races which bring the cowboy hats and big boots to the city as he makes his last Highway hurrah at Rosehill.
When Admission jumps in the Highway Handicap on Saturday, it will be the last time the Price stable is eligible to start a horse in the races restricted to country-trained competitors.
From October 1, Price and his son Luke will be in partnership at Kembla Grange, a provincial venue.
“Life’s only short and I enjoy the country life and I’ll probably be on the farm more than I am up here. But in saying that we have got to progress,” Price told AAP.
Price has had a runner in so many Highway Handicaps that he’s lost count and it was disappointing to have to say goodbye to what had become a drawcard race, he said.
“You get to see all these people wandering around with cowboy hats on and big boots. It’s good to see those people coming into the city for the day,” Price said.
Five-year-old mare Admission hasn’t won over 1500 metres but her trainer said a dry track would be in her favour.
“I am pretty happy where she’s at. She ran nice at Goulburn when she won,” Price said.
Admission won a 1400 metre race at Goulburn in August then ran fourth at the same track on September 1 before trailing home second last at Kembla Grange nine days later.
Price conceded that running her in the Kevin Robinson Memorial Cup was a mistake on the back of her last defeat but his family connection to the race was too strong to ignore.
“I should have given her time to recover from that run but I was just trying to do the right thing by my wife and have a runner in her dad’s race,” he said.
Peter Wells is booked to ride Admission on Saturday and was also in the saddle when she won at Goulburn.