Mick Price was pleased with his two Newmarket Handicap contenders Light Fantastic and Grand Sasso who won their respective jumpouts at Flemington on Tuesday morning.Price floated the pair across town from his Caulfield stables to Flemington as he saw the trip as beneficial for both in the lead-up to Saturday's 1200m feature.Ridden by Craig Newitt, Light Fantastic defeated Sister Madly, Trusting and Newmarket favourite All Silent, a notoriously bad trackworker without the blinkers he wears on rac
Mick Price was pleased with his two Newmarket Handicap contenders Light Fantastic and Grand Sasso who won their respective jumpouts at Flemington on Tuesday morning.
Price floated the pair across town from his Caulfield stables to Flemington as he saw the trip as beneficial for both in the lead-up to Saturday's 1200m feature.
Ridden by Craig Newitt, Light Fantastic defeated Sister Madly, Trusting and Newmarket favourite All Silent, a notoriously bad trackworker without the blinkers he wears on race day, tailing out last of the four in the first of the two 800m jumpouts.
The grey ran the trip in 46.4 seconds which was 0.54 faster than Gran Sasso took to beat Shellscrape, Turffontein and Five Car Stud in the other jumpout.
"I thought it was a good idea to take them out of their environment. I think it stimulates them a bit and the track was beautiful this morning. A dead (5) or a little bit softer," Price said.
"Gran Sasso went well, he goes a lot better in that ground. His runs in the Rubiton Stakes and the Oakleigh Plate were both good but he just needs that little bit of give in the track and a slower sectional that last furlong (200m)."
The Dehere five-year-old was transferred to Price after Brian Mayfield-Smith retired and his two runs for the new stable have been encouraging.
He was beaten less than a length when fourth to Here De Angels in the Rubiton and a length when sixth to Starspangledbanner in the Oakleigh Plate, both over 1100m at Caulfield last month.
"He's a good straight horse and we wanted to use those two races to get him fit. He's a bit of a gross gelding and needs his work to get him fit so this work will do him good and 1200 metres is his go," Price said.
Chris Symons, who won three straight on the gelding at Flemington from May to July last year and had the Oakleigh Plate ride, retains the mount.
Price said he was doing his best to win the Newmarket for Gran Sasso's owner Des Pope who has already had success in the race with the Mayfield-Smith-trained Rubitano in 2002.
Regular rider Craig Newitt will again ride Light Fantastic who finished fourth to Turffontein after leading when resuming in the William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on February 13.
After his 2008 Australian Guineas success, Price regarded Light Fantastic as a Cox Plate horse as a four-year-old.
But he found out the gelding was a sprinter and he has been prepared that way since.
Like Gran Sasso, Price believes Light Fantastic's best chance of winning the Newmarket is to be ridden with a sit and then finish off.
The Danehill Dancer five-year-old hasn't managed to score since the JJ Liston Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield in August 2008 although he has been runner-up twice at the highest level.
Gran Sasso is at $21 with TAB Sportsbet with Light Fantastic at $35 behind $4.50 favourite All Silent, Starspangledbanner at $7.50 and the David Hayes-trained pair Nicconi and Eagle Falls at $10.