Mick Price was hoping for a softer track at Moonee Valley for Shrewd Rhythm but is happy to run him on Saturday when he believes the tempo of the BC3 Future Stars Sprint will suit him.Price was surprised the StrathAyr surface was rated a good (3) on Friday which the Danehill Dancer entire hasn't encountered for some time."Surely a good (3) at this time of the year isn't going to be too hard," Price said."The track rating is no good for Shrewd Rhythm who is a good wet tracker."But one thing in hi

Mick Price was hoping for a softer track at Moonee Valley for Shrewd Rhythm but is happy to run him on Saturday when he believes the tempo of the BC3 Future Stars Sprint will suit him.

Price was surprised the StrathAyr surface was rated a good (3) on Friday which the Danehill Dancer entire hasn't encountered for some time.

"Surely a good (3) at this time of the year isn't going to be too hard," Price said.

"The track rating is no good for Shrewd Rhythm who is a good wet tracker.

"But one thing in his favour is that there are two or three in that race who should punch along pretty quickly and that will give him his chance to finish it off.

"The only way he can win is if there is a heap of speed in that race."

A former top juvenile, Shrewd Rhythm won the Group Three Blue Diamond Prelude and was third in the 2007 Group One Blue Diamond Stakes but was sold out of the Greg Eurell after he won the Vain Stakes first-up as a spring three-year-old.

But after disappointing for the David Hayes stable his owners, who include Nathan Tinkler's Patinack Farm and the Lindsay Park Stud Syndicate managed by Sam Hayes, transferred the now five-year-old to Price.

Price worked on getting Shrewd Rhythm to settle in his races and he has since had three starts for a Moonee Valley 1000m win on a heavy track, a fourth to In The Shadows over 1200m, again at the Valley on the heavy, and a second to Gran Sasso in the All Victorian Sprint (1200m) at Flemington, all in June-July.

"He's in beautiful shape but over 1000 metres you'll see halfway through the race he'll get off the bit and on a good track he may pick them up," Price said.

"I was going to wait for the race down the straight but I thought for a $100,000 race he might as well go around in it."

After Saturday's set weights plus penalties 1000m dash, Price intends to start Shrewd Rhythm in the Group Three Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on September 5.

In an effort to boost his stallion potential, Price is looking to run the horse in the Group One Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on September 19.

Shrewd Rhythm is at $8 with TAB Sportsbet behind $2.80 favourite Secret Flyer, Morgan Dollar at $4 and Wilander at $4.20.