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Price out to repeat Group One double

Friday 19 March 2010
By Mark Ryan

Mick Price will attempt to repeat a Group One double he achieved at the corresponding meeting a year ago when Velocitea contests the Sportingbet Classic and Aloha and Nakaaya the Australasian Oaks at Morphettville.

Price combined with stable jockey Craig Newitt to win the 2009 Robert Sangster Stakes, now known as the Sportingbet Classic, aboard Bel Mer while the pair landed the Australasian Oaks with Gallica.

Newitt will ride Nakaaya in Saturday's Oaks but is on the Peter Moody-trained Headway in the Sportingbet Classic (1200m), while Damien Oliver will handle Velocitea in the Classic and Aloha in the Oaks.

Oliver is chasing his third Oaks having previously won the 2000m feature on Episode in 1999 and Tully Thunder in 2002.

He also won a Sportingbet Classic aboard Alinghi in 2005.

Price, who has won the Sportingbet Classic three times, the other two with Spirit Of Love (1998) and French Bid (2004) before it was elevated to Group One level, queried how the track would play on Saturday.

"Given that the rail is out three metres, the same position as it was on Adelaide Cup day when they were in the middle to outside of the track making their runs, will it be to Velocitea's advantage drawing barrier five?," he asked.

However he is confident the former Brian Mayfield-Smith-trained mare is at her best for the big race.

"I cannot have her any better. She gets her chance to win a Group One," he said.

The Volksraad four-year-old is after a hat-trick of victories following her wins in the Group Three Hyderabad Racing Club Stakes and the Listed Japan Racing Association Stakes, both over 1200m at Caulfield.

"She's in good order, I'm very happy with her," Price said.

Price was happy with Aloha coming up with barrier six in the Oaks field of 16 plus three emergencies, while Nakaaya drew seven.

"That draw is good for Aloha because we want to snag her back with cover early so that she settles," he said.

A Sandown 1200m winner last August, Aloha has been placed at all her other six starts including her last five runs up to 1600m.

The Encosta De Lago three-year-old was third behind Oaks rivals My Emotion and Speedy Natalie in the Group Two Fillies Classic (1600m) at Moonee Valley before finishing third to Small Minds in the Listed Adelaide Guineas (1600m) at Morphettville on March 8.

Nakaaya, a Caulfield 1400m winner in December, ran an encouraging fifth to Set For Fame in the Group Two Angus Armanasco Stakes (1600m) at Caulfield on February 20.

But last start the Tiger Hill filly was a distant last in the Adelaide Guineas after her saddle slipped forward.

"Nakaaya will be no problem over the trip but Aloha has to prove herself," Price said.

"It could be her first and last try at 2000 metres but it's a Group One.

"I thought I'd dodge the Australian Guineas to have a shot at this race.

"He (Oliver) followed the wrong horses in the wrong part of the track last start and got blocked for a run while the winner was out in the middle, but she was strong to the line."

Velocitea is $5 favourite in the 20-horse Sportingbet Classic with TAB Sportsbet ahead of Headway at $6.50 with Majestic Music and Sister Madly at $7.50.

The Mick Kent-trained My Emotion is the $5 Oaks favourite ahead of Speedy Natalie at $5.50, Aloha at $7.50 and Absolute Faith at $8.

Nakaaya is at $11.