A humble stable from the NSW South Coast, Robert and Luke Price have long dreamt of taking on the big boys of Sydney racing.
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With the likes of Chris Waller and Godolphin dominating the industry, the Kembla Grange trainers have chipped away, waiting for the opportunity to arise.
That shot is here, star filly Jamaea set to take on the best colts in the land in Saturday's Group 1 Golden Rose.
It may seem daunting, but the trainers are confident their horse is up to the task.
"She's already a Group 2 winner," Luke Price said. "She's proven she's one of the best fillies of this era. Her record's impeccable, there was only one run that was bad and she had excuses. The rest of her runs have been outstanding.
"I said to the owners the Golden Rose is the race to give her a chance of winning a Group 1. Everything's been aimed at this race."
Saturday's event marks Robert and Luke's first Group 1 as partners and the first for either of them since Luke trained Man Of Choice to third in the 2015 Spring Champion Stakes.
With a desire to regularly feature at this level, the duo purchased Jamaea as a $130,000 yearling in an effort to build a city-quality squad from the ground.
A two-time Group 2 winner, the three-year-old is part of a talented Price crop that includes Golden Eagle hopeful Count De Rupee.
Jamaea is just one of two fillies to line up in the Golden Rose, the other Queensland runner Startantes.
The stallion-making race is typically dominated by colts, Forensics the last female to win the feature in 2008.
The boys are again expected to dominate, Godolphin's Anamoe short-priced favourite after a commanding victory in the Run To The Rose at Kembla Grange.
Blue Diamond winner Artorius shapes as a contender, while Remarque is sure to be in the finish after two promising showings this prep.
Jamaea will jump from barrier seven, between In The Congo and Anamoe and Price couldn't have asked for a better draw.
"It's the perfect barrier," Price said. "With Remarque inside and In The Congo going forward and leading and Anamoe one outside, he'll land in front or three deep.
"If we're on the back of Anamoe and Remarque, they'll ride the race for Brock and take us everywhere we want to go. From there, it will be whether she's good enough to come off the back and get past them at the right time."
Apprentice Brock Ryan has retained the ride after helping Jamaea flash home to claim the Group 2 Furious Stakes earlier this month.
The jockey has endured a disrupted preparation, a six-day suspension ending on Saturday. He has also been unable to ride trackwork after all Greater Sydney hoops were placed in a tightened bubble to prevent a coronavirus outbreak.
That has left Ryan with little to do but train in the home gym and study the form as he prepares for the biggest race of his young career. He's confident he's outlined a path to victory for Jamaea.
"This is the biggest opportunity I've had," Ryan said. "I've had three Group 1 rides before, but they've all been outsiders. This is my biggest crack at winning one.
"I've got to go in with the right mindset and be in the zone. I've got to be on my game, me and the horse.
"With Anamoe drawn outside, the ideal scenario is to be following him everywhere and get on his back."
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