Wyong, Nowra previews: Rob and Luke Price target maiden win before first Group 1

Father-son team Robert and Luke Price are chasing a breakthrough success with Invade and Conquer at Wyong before eyeing an even bigger prize up north.

Invade and Conquer is primed for Wyong on Thursday. Picture: Bradley Photos

Kembla trainers Rob and Luke Price are keen to build momentum for a potentially massive week of ‘stable firsts’ when consistent type Invade And Conquer hunts his own maiden win at Wyong on Thursday.

The father-son team are in the midst of a massive winter period as they prepare to have their second Group 1 runner in the space of eight days this Saturday at Eagle Farm.

The Prices narrowly missed out on claiming a maiden Group 1 last Saturday when star filly Our Gold Hope finished a narrow second in the Queensland Oaks, the stable’s first placegetter at the top level.

This week they’ll get another chance to snare Group 1 glory for the first time when gun juvenile Smashing Time targets the JJ Atkins Stakes.

Sock it to them!

Socks Nation is the G1 Queensland Oaks champ for 2024!@BrisRacingClub@cmaherracing@RMaloney_Jockeypic.twitter.com/6e5dVf0MU6

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 8, 2024

• Runner-by runner analysis, tips: JJ Atkins

But their focus will be back in their home state on Thursday when Invade And Conquer put his first win on the board in the Hoodoo Gurus @ Teg 16th November Maiden (1100m).

The son of Invader has placed in five of his seven starts already and was scratched from Wednesday’s Kensington meeting to head further north for his second up assignment.

“With it being drier on Thursday, I think that’s the most important thing for Invade And Conquer,” Luke Price said.

“He is drawn a lovely soft gate there in a Midway only and the horse needs the confidence.

“I don’t know if Wyong is going to be the right circumference for him but it might be the right surface and the right grade.

“It would be nice to see it get to around a soft 5.”

It could be a massive week of firsts for father-son team Rob (left) and Luke Price. Picture: Mark Evans / Getty Images

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Invade And Conquer went close to putting his first win on the board first up when finishing a narrow second to Equipage in an 1100m event at Hawkesbury.

Some interference in the straight so the result taken into the Stewards’ room.

“We had to give it a good in the stewards room the other day and there wasn’t much in it really,” Price said.

“It was a 50-50 call. If the margin was a touch closer they probably overturn it so it was worth having a go and he’s run well.”

The right equipment for a win!

Equipage takes the Super Maiden at @hawkesburyrc for @ZacLloydx and @[e-mail]/PwKcUUBRbW

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 23, 2024

Invader And Conquer ($3.40) has been battling for favouritism with the Clarry Conners-trained Du Cap ($3) while Sharpen The Knives is a $5 chance.

Meanwhile, stablemate Verbek will also go in pursuit of a confidence boosting victory in the Taste The Coast @ Teg 15th Sept Benchmark 64 (1600m).

Verbek is a $14 chance to break a run of outs that has seen him miss the placings in his past eight runs.

“Verbek needs to turn his form around,” Price said.

“He has been working well and at home and I think he needs a dry surface as well.

“I put a sneaky nomination in on the Acton track at Canberra but it does like the right race for him there.

“With apprentice Dylan Gibbons on there, there is a lot to like about it.”

The main event for the Prices comes on Saturday afternoon as Smashing Time ($23) attempts to cause a shock to odds-on favourite Broadsiding ($1.70 fav) in the JJ Atkins Stakes at Eagle Farm.

Smashing Time was fifth in the Sires Produce Stakes last start and resumes his partnership with Tommy Berry.

“I think he runs really well,” Price said.

“All the reports are from Dad are that the horse has really thrived so I can only go off what they are saying up there.

“We got a lovely gate and I think it’s a different race on a good track.”

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Odds-on favourite can go one better

Trainer Scott Collings is expecting a fitter Aunty Ginny to prove hard to beat when his speedy filly prepares goes around at odds-on for the third consecutive start at Nowra on Thursday.

Aunty Ginny won as an odds-on favourite on debut last year before she was run down late as a $1.62 pop first up from a spell at Goulburn last month.

She is poised to go around at an even shorter quote in her second up assignment as the $1.50 favourite in The Nowra Jeweller Country Boosted Class (1000m) with Richard Bensley aboard.

“Her first up run was really good, I was really pleased with her,” Collings said.

“She went into it without a jump out or a trial, with the weather and how it panned out, and was just found a bit wanting late.

“I think second up she should go really well and have plenty of improvement from that run.”

Aunty Ginny has a heavy track win to her name after scoring stylishly on debut at Canberra last December over 1000m.

Nowra was in the heavy range on Wednesday but got the green light to proceed following a track inspection 24 hours before the meeting with favourable conditions expected.

Trainer Scott Collings is confident odds-on favourite Aunty Ginny will be hard to beat. Picture: Jeremy Ng / Getty Images

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Collings has also elected to take Cruizingdafield ($3.80) in the G J Gardner Homes Benchmark 66 Handicap (1000m) after scratching her from Wednesday’s Kensington card.

Cruizingdafield started her career with Mark Newnham, chalking up a city win and placing, before spending close to two years on the sidelines.

She has since joined Collings, who was unaware what issues the mare had but has been impressed with her first two starts for the stable, finishing fourth and third in the bush.

“I thought Cruizingdafield sort of needed those runs after the big break she had and they’ve done her the world off good,” Collings said.

“Obviously they weren’t as good a runs as her first two runs as a two-year-old but she is coming off a long time off and I think at this point in time I have got her where I need her to be.

“I think she should run really well in a race like that.”

Ahrahmia ($5.50) makes her return from a spell in the Hotondo Homes South Coast Maiden Plate (1100m) with Collings confident she’s ready to run a bold race first up.

“I think Ahrahmia will run well,” he said.

“Starting first up on a heavy track is a concern, she has never really had a good go on the heavy but it’s not an overly strong race and I think she should run well.”

Originally published as Wyong, Nowra previews: Rob and Luke Price target maiden win before first Group 1