The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr team will have a three-pronged attack on a three-year-old race at Caulfield Heath.
Lightly raced trio Brazen Dechambeau, Commit and Dustee take on each other in The Vally @ Caulfield Handicap (1200m) on Saturday.
All three gallopers head to the second week of the new racing season with runs on the board, but Price is hopeful all three can progress beyond Saturday metropolitan level.
Whether that level is Stakes company, Price said he will be in a better position to evaluate after Saturday’s race.
Brazen Dechambeau is now into his third racing preparation.
He finished midfield on debut at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day last year before a break, returning to score at Pakenham in early January.
Spelled following that run, Brazen Dechambeau finished fifth over 1100m at Caulfield on July 25 and Price expects the rise in distance to be a bonus on Saturday.
“He’s a good horse and he wants every inch of 1200 metres,” Price said.
“He needed the run the other day and I think there will be good improvement.”
Commit heads to Saturday’s race for the third run of his preparation.
He lowered the colours of his stablemate Dustee at Sale on June 28 before running third to the highly regarded American Eagle at Sandown on July 15.
American Eagle has only had that one start and features in the nominations for the Cox Plate for Anthony and Sam Freedman.
Price hopes Commit will be able to take a more forward position on Saturday after being slow into stride at Sandown.
“That was not my preferred option to be out the back on him, but he was a little bit slow away and he gave away a good start,” Price said.
“He was very good late and he’s capable of being a nice, metropolitan Saturday horse.
“He’s pretty cherry ripe.”
Price said Dustee had developed with racing and further training and described the gelding as ‘tough’.
Dustee failed to get warm in the first run of his campaign at Bendigo but has since run second at Sale before his maiden win at Seymour.
“Alana Kelly rode him at Bendigo,” Price said.
“He went around very green, like he was switched off, for whatever reason, so I put the blinkers on him, did some genuine solid work with him and that turned him.
“He’ll show up. He worked good on Saturday morning.”
