Golden Path flies home in Flemington finale

[Wandering Eyes]

Talented New Zealand-bred gelding Golden Path (NZ) (Belardo) staked his claim for higher honours later in the spring with a strong-finishing victory to close out Saturday’s Flemington card.

The six-year-old son of Belardo was second-up in the A$150,000 Ronald McDonald House Charities Trophy (1700m), having resumed with a third over 1600m at Caulfield on August 16.

Golden Path had a far from easy task on Saturday from the extreme outside gate in a 19-horse field and with topweight of 61kg on his back, but he still proved superior.

Blake Shinn drove him out of the pack and over the top of the tearaway leader Globe (NZ) (Charm Spirit), getting up to win by neck from fellow late closers Kingswood (Roaring lion) and Young Werther (NZ) (Tavistock).

“It was a brutally run race,” Shinn said. “I got into a good spot. Globe really made us earn the win, carrying the big weight this guy had. He came off the bit early, but his class really shone through. He ran against some of the best credentialled horses in Australia last prep in Sydney and acquitted himself really well. He carried the weight today, his class shone through and I’m just delighted to get the win on him for Mick and everyone involved.”

Golden Path was competitive in strong company last season, running third in the Gr.3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m), fifth in the Gr.1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m), and sixth in the Gr.1 Verry Elleegant Stakes (1600m), Gr.2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) and Gr.2 Hill Stakes (2000m). Trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr are now likely to step him back up to stakes level.

“Blake found a beautiful spot today – I think he was three back and one out from the worst gate,” Price said. “He missed a run leading into this, just because of an inflammatory marker in the blood. That’s what we take bloods for. But he came right, he was right today and he loves Flemington.

“I have one owner that keeps telling me he’s live in the Caulfield Cup (Gr.1, 2400m), so what do you do? Anyway, we’ll point that way and see what happens.”

Bred by the Wallace family’s Ardsley Stud, Golden Path was purchased for $35,000 from the 2021 Karaka Book 2 Yearling Sale by Pukekohe trainer Michael Rogers. After winning two of his three trials in New Zealand for Rogers, Golden Path was sold to clients of the Price-Kent team.

Racing in the colours of Carl Holt, Golden Path has now had 19 starts for six wins, four placings and A$620,650 in stakes.

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