Trainer Rob Price is counting on Regan Bayliss's sublime Group 1 touch delivering him a ticket to the Golden Eagle.
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Bayliss confirmed his place among the elite Sydney jockeys with a stunning Epsom Handicap and Flight Stakes double on Saturday.
The Gai Waterhouse-Adrian Bott-trained Never Been Kissed surged clear to win the Flight Stakes at $41, while Joe Pride showed his intent to win the Golden Eagle with Bayliss aboard.
On Saturday, Bayliss is ready to declare another contender, when the Price stable's Count de Rupee runs in the Silver Eagle at Randwick.
"It's a bit like a golfer, when you're hitting them well, you just keep driving them down the middle," Price said.
"So hopefully he can continue that form for us on Saturday, confidence is a wonderful thing.
"Brock (Ryan) had done a great job with Count de Rupee and so had Tommy Berry when he's been on, but they've both had their suspensions and it gives Regan an opportunity.
"Regan has been doing a bit of work for us and he rode (stablemate) Cuban Royale an absolute 10 out of 10 one day, so when you ride them like that you want to keep rewarding jockeys."
Count de Rupee is firmly in the Silver Eagle (1300m) market at $6.50 and $15 in the all-in Golden Eagle (1500m) market with Sportsbet.
Private Eye is into $7 after winning the Epsom, when Bayliss declared 'he is going to be mighty hard to beat in the Golden Eagle' post-race.
However, Bayliss himself will now miss the Golden Eagle, after being suspended for three weeks for failing to ride out the Waterhouse-Bott trained All Too Scottish at Gosford on Thursday.
The ban will take effect on October 17, meaning he will be free to ride Count De Rupee on Saturday.
Bayliss will also ride Price's Noble Soldier ($23) in the Benchmark 72 Midway Handicap on Saturday, which also includes Brett Lazzarini's gelding Wild Chap ($20) and Theresa Bateup's mare Divine Breath.
"He's one of those horses, who need to find room outside runners, he's a bit of a big scaredy-cat back in traffic," Price said.
On the same day as the Golden Eagle, Verbek will contest the new Four Pillars race, a Kosciuszko-style event for Midway-eligible trainers.
The three-year-old gelding is yet to break through in seven starts, laying in down the straight at Goulburn on Tuesday to finish second for the fifth time.
"He's doing a few things wrong, we'll look at a gear change," Price said. "But there's a lot of improvement in him yet and we'll see that as he gets out to 1500m and beyond."
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