Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr upbeat Golden Slipper favourite Profiteer will handle extra week after postponement

Golden Slipper favourite Profiteer is still the horse to beat in the world’s richest race for two-year-olds, according to co-trainer Michael Kent Jr, despite the delay in racing.

Hugh Bowman on Profiteer returns to scale after winning the Inglis Millennium. Picture: Getty

Co-trainer Michael Kent Jr says Golden Slipper favourite Profiteer remains in “pole position” for the world’s richest race for two-year-olds despite last Saturday’s washout.

Profiteer, a brilliant son of Capitalist, will complete an unexpected second tune up on Tuesday, as co-trainer Mick Price, in Sydney, “fills in the gaps” towards Saturday’s rescheduled race.

“We would’ve liked to run (last Saturday) on a decent track, he’s been tuned to the minute,” Kent Jr said.

“I’m glad they didn’t run on what would’ve been a heavy 15 — suits us to be on a bit better ground.

“The track will come up in that soft to heavy range next Saturday and I think he’ll really enjoy it.”

Profiteer will be three weeks between runs, instead of the “perfect” two, but the extra work Tuesday should take the freshness out of his legs.

“Everyone is in the same boat … seven more days to just fill in the gaps,” Kent Jr said.

“We want to see him travel just nice, without overdoing it in the Slipper.

“He’s the best colt in the race and he’s been timed beautifully to try and win this Slipper.

“I think we’ve got the right horse … he’ll be out in front a long time.“

Profiteer stamped his Slipper claims with an emphatic five-length $2m Inglis Millennium win on a rain-affected soft track.

He was narrowly beaten — four weeks between runs — last start in the Todman Stakes, when sent out a fraction underdone by design to peak in the Slipper.

His overall brilliance has the stable upbeat the explosive colt will emulate boom sire, Capitalist, and win the Slipper after going down in the Todman.

“He’s a horse that travels deep into his races, the longer you travel in soft ground the better you are,” Kent Jr said.

“The sooner you come off the bridle you’re likely to flounder, he’ll be up the front of the race, on those bad (wet) tracks, that’s where you want to be.”

Hugh Bowman’s confidence after riding Profiteer last week has only bolstered the stable’s opinion.

“He couldn’t have been more effusive of how well the horse went last Tuesday,” Kent Jr said.

“Hugh knows what it takes to win a Slipper.”

Bowman, who rode Profiteer in the auction house-restricted Millennium, won the Slipper last year with Farnan for trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.

While the postponement could deny Kent Jr from being in Sydney on Saturday, due to commitments at Bendigo, Price’s confidence has him feeling quite relaxed about his first Slipper runner.

“I haven’t seen Mick Price this confident going into a Group 1 in the two and a half years I’ve been with him,” Kent Jr said.

“I feel very relaxed, to be honest, Mick instils that relaxed nature upon me, I don’t get stressed, no point.

“It won’t change the result or change the weather, we can’t change we got a week extra, we deal with it.”

Originally published as Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr upbeat Golden Slipper favourite Profiteer will handle extra week after postponement