By Adam Hamilton
Queensland trainer Shannon Price has got her wish, but now she’s also got some thinking to do.
It was just a couple of weeks ago when Price pleaded with slot owners in both the $NZ1mil Race By Grins and $1.25mil Group 1 Nullarbor to look seriously at her stable star Speak The Truth as an option.
Since then, the horse has done the talking.
Speak The Truth produced a career-best effort to sit parked and brilliantly win his qualifying sprint a week before the Miracle Mile.
Then, just last night, he led and ran a brave third to fellow Queensland champion Leap To Fame in the $1mil Miracle Mile at Menangle.
Even before last night, Price confirmed she was juggling approaches from slot holders in both races.
Logistically, it’s only possible to run in one of them with the Race By Grins at Cambridge in NZ on April 12 and the Nullarbor at Gloucester Park in Perth just a week later.
“We’ve got a bit to weigh-up, but it’s a good position to be in,” Price said.
“I was straight-up with those who called and asked for them to just let us get through the Miracle Mile and then we’d really focus on deciding which race suits best.
“There are pros and cons with both, but we’re keen to give him his chance in one of them.”
Price had toyed with taking Speak The Truth to Victoria for next Saturday night’s $50,000 Melton Plate, but has scrapped that idea.
“No, Victoria’s not happening anymore,” she said. “He’ll have a couple of easy days while we decide what’s next.”
Last year’s Miracle Mile winner Catch A Wave is slated to return from an untimely and frightening corn and foot abscess in the Melton Plate.
If Price opts for the Cambridge race, he could join Leap To Fame to give Queensland two runners.
Like Price, Leap To Fame’s connections are taking a couple of days to assess where the newly crowned Miracle Mile winner is at before committing to an NZ trip.