Mick Price will be chasing his first Group success as trainer for Patinack Farm with imported mare Mary D'Or in Saturday's Patinack Farm Stakes at Flemington.Price won Listed races in Adelaide for Patinack Farm with two-year-old filly Pergram in the Queen Adelaide Stakes (1000m) and three-year-old colt Pricked in the Nitschke Stakes (1450m), both at Cheltenham last month.He also has the unraced Patinack Farm colt Zuko (3.40 fav) engaged in Saturday's Festival Of Racing Stakes (1000m).A former Fr
Mick Price will be chasing his first Group success as trainer for Patinack Farm with imported mare Mary D'Or in Saturday's Patinack Farm Stakes at Flemington.
Price won Listed races in Adelaide for Patinack Farm with two-year-old filly Pergram in the Queen Adelaide Stakes (1000m) and three-year-old colt Pricked in the Nitschke Stakes (1450m), both at Cheltenham last month.
He also has the unraced Patinack Farm colt Zuko (3.40 fav) engaged in Saturday's Festival Of Racing Stakes (1000m).
A former French mare, Mary D'Or was a 1600m three-year-old fillies maiden winner and multiple stakes-placed before she was bought by Nathan Tinkler's Patinack Farm and brought to Australia.
The grey daughter of Verglas had just one run last spring before going for a spell and has raced well in three starts since resuming for the Price stable.
Third-up she was beaten less than a length when fourth to Symphony Miss in the Group Three Mannerism Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 21.
"We're just looking to get some Australian black type for her," Price said.
"We've put the blinkers on her to get her to focus.
"A bit of sting out of the track would help her and the 1600 metres will be a lot better for her.
"Her three runs this time in have all been good and we expect her to run in the first three.
"She hasn't had good gates but she's been racing well, she's drawn a good gate (barrier six) over the mile and its a good opportunity for her."
"She's not overly big and muscled but I think she'll get 2000 metres."
Craig Newitt will ride Mary D'Or while Dale Smith will be aboard stablemate Queen Of Queens who is topweight with 56.5kg the Group Three fillies and mares feature.
The Group Three South Australian Oaks (2500m) winner resumed with a neck second to Tantat Secret over 1400m at Pakenham on March 1 and that form was franked when Tantat Secret won the Echuca Cup (1400m) last Sunday.
Price said she would be part of the strong team of horses he would be sending to Sydney during the autumn carnival.
The King Of Kings four-year-old will run in the Listed $100,000 Epona Stakes (1900m) at Rosehill on March 28.
"She'll probably end up in the Brisbane Cup," Price said.
Last start Caulfield 1600m winner Fifth Avenue Lady is $4.20 favourite with TAB Sportsbet ahead of Marveen at $7.50, Mary D'Or and Marchelle Belle at $8, with Prima Nova and Dane Julia next best at $8.50.
Queen Of Queens is rated a $12 chance.
The Lee Freedman-trained filly Marchelle Belle is chasing her sixth straight win having made it five in a row with her all-the-way victory in the Listed Tasmanian Oaks (2100m) at Launceston last month.