Having watched his horse come within a nose of claiming the $7.5 million Golden Eagle, Luke Price has set his sights on conquering the biggest prize in Australian racing.
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The Kembla Grange trainer has unveiled a daring plan to summit the Everest with star gelding Count De Rupee, Price emboldened after the four-year-old's stunning run at Rosehill on Saturday.
But first, he's determined to claim the Illawarra's richest race.
Count De Rupee will line up for the $1 million The Gong at Kembla Grange on November 20, Price eager to deliver a fairytale victory on his home track.
"The Gong is high on the agenda," Price said. "He's pulled up fantastic, I couldn't be any happier with the way he felt this morning. He knows he's been around, so we'll have a quiet week, but he should be at his best for The Gong in three weeks.
"He'll run a mile without a doubt. I'll have some decisions to make but for the moment I'm concentrating purely on The Gong. He should run extremely well on his home track."
The four-year-old will enjoy a well-earned rest after The Gong, with Price set to spend the summer plotting the path forward.
Count De Rupee's impressive performance on Saturday proved he should have no issues running out the mile, with the Group 1 Doncaster a prime target for the autumn.
The riches of the Everest, however, could prove too enticing for Price and the owners, a group that includes Gerringong brothers Bruce and Ken Noble.
Luke, who trains alongside father Rob, remains confident the horse can develop into a top-line sprinter and views the TJ Smith Stakes in April as a stepping stone to the world's richest race on turf.
"If we can win a TJ Smith, it puts us right there for the Everest," Price said. "If you can get locked in early, we can give him a proper rest and really aim up. The prize money keeps going up, it will be $20 million one day, so it's worth a crack.
"He's been brilliant all prep, he's gone to another level and I feel I haven't found the bottom of him yet. There's still more to come.
"I look at Masked Crusader, he only just got beat in the Everest. Twelve months ago, he was beaten in a BenchMark 88. We could be comparing ourselves to something like that, our horse is young, fresh and has speed. With a strong tempo, he'll be lightning in the finish of the Everest."
After last week's nervous build up to the Golden Eagle, Price is looking forward to a more relaxed afternoon at Kembla Grange on Tuesday.
The stable has three chances to claim a winner on Melbourne Cup day, with First Courrier, Pirate Bird and Deepfield Magic set to go around.
After a series of runs on wet tracks, Price said the trio will benefit from firm ground on Tuesday.
"Pirate Bird is a really good chance back on a good track. He ran really well last start on an unsuitable track, the impression is he's ready to win.
"First Courrier has no weight, he's as honest as the day's long, he'll run as usual and give us a good sight.
"Deepfield Magic has so much ability, she has as much talent as any horse I've got, but we've had a lot of issues with her. I think we've got her right now. She's drawn tricky, but if she gets on the back of the favourite, she should be strong late."
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