16 hours ago
Will Price seeking breakthrough city winner with Attachments at Caulfield
Jockey Will Price rode winners for fun in Melbourne as a star apprentice but a breakthrough victory on Saturday at Caulfield aboard Attachments would be a reward for persistence.
Price, a champion Melbourne apprentice in 2020-21 with 47 city winners, has experienced the well-trodden tough transition to senior riding ranks the past 18 months.
The natural lightweight has worked hard primarily on the country circuit in a bid to find potential city runners like Attachments, trained by Archie Alexander.
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A chance to ride the three-year-old daughter of Prince Of Caviar, a son of the legend Black Caviar, in a Donald jumpout has led to Warracknabeal and Cranbourne wins.
Attachments is seven weeks' between runs but placed second in a recent Caulfield Heath jump out.
'I didn't ask much of her but she felt great underneath me, obviously she could've gone and won the trial if I pushed her,' Price said.
'She's kept progressing from Cranbourne and off the back of that trial, hopefully, she could put her best foot forward on Saturday.
'You got to take these opportunities with both hands, that's for sure … I've had a couple metro rides here and there through the season but not many in the market.'
Attachments is $12 in the 1200m 3YO Fillies Handicap.
'It's good to get an opportunity on a progressive filly over a suitable distance against her own age and sex … crucial this time of year to hopefully ride metro winners … and show everyone I can still do what I was doing with a claim,' Price said.
Price has ridden 20 winners this season, including a stakes success in Adelaide.
His last Melbourne city winner was in December 2023.
Essendon-based Price has been to Moe (twice), Geelong (twice), Ballarat (twice), Pakenham (twice), Swan Hill, Casterton, Seymour, Bendigo, Wangaratta, Sandown, Donald and Echuca the past month alone for race rides.
He also travels to Pakenham and Ballarat weekly to ride work.
The 25-year-old rode at Warracknabeal on Friday and returns to Ballarat on Sunday.
Attachments is his only ride at Caulfield on Saturday.
'It's always a battle (apprentice to senior), you really got to be going everywhere you can and trying to ride winners anywhere,' Price said.
'If you don't go and follow those horses someone else is going to ride and someone else is going to win on them and obviously you're out the backdoor.
'Obviously you don't want to be hitting these flat spots … you want to be riding metro winners outside of your apprenticeship but a lot of riders hit this flat spot.
'There's no point getting down in the dumps about it all, got to keep chipping away and pushing to get back to where we all want to be – riding winners in town.'
