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It goes without saying that Robert and Luke Price have special reason to win Saturday’s Midway at Kembla Grange given the race is named in honour of their former star Count De Rupee.
The 2021 winner of The Gong's career was cut short in August when he suffered a heart attack in a jump out while preparing for his spring campaign and couldn't be saved.
But he's left a legacy for the Prices that will live on for many years and Luke Price said it's special to have the Count De Rupee Midway Handicap (1400m) as a tribute.
The Prices have Verbek, who races in the Count De Rupee colours, and up and comer Mr Rock It, ridden by the Count's regular rider Brock Ryan, as "two live chances" to win the race.
"It's a nice gesture from the club, he's going to hold a part of our hearts for the rest of our lives,'' Price said.
"He's left a mark on the area as well, being the first local horse to win The Gong. We thought he had plenty of great racing left in him but it is what it is and life goes on.
"We're lucky we've had the best season of buying we've ever had. We have the quality there now because of Count De Rupee whereas two or three years ago we didn't have that luxury.
"We have over 30 two-year-olds on our books and horses there with price tags on them we would never dream of having in our stable. It's all because of him and Jamaea and hopefully we can find another one.
"It's always hard to win on these days so if we can get away with one that'd be perfect."
Verbek hasn't quite lived up to the promise he showed early on but Price said he's been racing consistently at Midway level and will be making use of an inside alley.
The four-year-old was placed in a Midway at Rosehill in June and again in September and was beaten under two lengths in another by Either Oar two weeks ago.
"The barrier gods have been good to us, though I'm not sure if two really suits Verbek,'' he said.
"He didn't like being cluttered up the other day in a slowly run race. We'll show our hand early and I'll be making sure Chad (Schofield) is positive from the gate."
Mr Rock It is the horse Price doesn't have a ceiling on just yet and while he's reasonably fresh out of maiden grade, having broken through at his sixth start at Kembla on November 1, he is quietly confident the gelding will measure up.
He was narrowly beaten in a Class 1 on his home track last weekend and drops 5kg. Both he and Verbek opened $12 with TAB on Wednesday.
"He is a really promising three-year-old on the way up. He's got to jump a few grades but he's doing it at the right time,'' Price said.
"He over raced in a slowly run race the other day, he was hit with the whip at the 120m when he was taking a gap but he still ran extremely well. I'm looking forward to seeing what he does with no weight."
Brock Ryan will partner Our Bellagio Miss and Cuban Royale for the stable in their respective first-up assignments at Kembla and Price is a little bullish about both running cheeky races.
Our Bellagio Miss has dual accepted for the Eleven Eleven Handicap (1000m) and the $300,000 The Warra (1000m) with the former holding most appeal.
"It seems things are going well with her, the trial was super here last Wednesday and her gallop on Tuesday was exceptional,'' he said.
"We'd like to get back to benchmark racing and try to get a win, she hasn't won a race in a long time and we'd like to get her confidence up."
And the consistent Cuban Royale chases a breakthrough win in the Traffic Logistics Handicap (1200m).
"He's at the right level, he's drawn the right barrier and it will take a good one to beat him,'' Price said.
"He usually does take a run or two but he's had two trials and from the time he went to the paddock he's been readied for this meeting. I'm going there thinking he'll be a great each-way bet for the local punters and the local owners."
