‘It’s like riding a Rolls Royce – I can’t fault him’

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In a game that can already be cruel and twisted, this must be the longest, most excruciating wait to sweat on gaining a run in racing history. The ‘refresh’ button at the stables of Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr might soon need replacing.

From last Monday to last Saturday, the co-trainers were aching to see if a scratching among the 16 horses above Space Rider (Zoustar) would promote their exciting colt from emergency to starter in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m).

On Saturday morning, they were put out of their misery – or so it seemed.

By the 7.30am local time deadline, no scratchings had been forthcoming – or outgoing, as it were – so the five emergencies came out.

Then, a few hours later, after torrential rain washed out the afternoon’s meeting from the fourth race onwards, the waiting began again. The meeting was rescheduled to Friday night, emergencies were reinstated, the clock started ticking again, and a flicker of hope was reignited.

Now Price and Kent have to wait until Friday at 7.30am to see whether a spot opens up for Space Rider to squeeze into the field.

Despite being an emergency, he’s among the top chances in the market at around $7, and having drawn barrier four for Chad Schofield, he’ll be fancied to give the rich race an almighty shake – if the almost 11-day wait for his connections ends in good news.

While managing a wry laugh, Kent agreed the Space Rider situation felt like not only the longest but the most tortuous wait that’s ever been had.

“It’s a bit like that,” Kent told ANZ Bloodstock News. “I’ve had owners calling me saying they’d heard this and heard that about other horses possibly coming out. We’ve been hitting ‘refresh’ every few seconds.”

More agonising still, it’s only $11,200 in prize-money that is currently stopping Space Rider competing for $3 million. That’s all that separates the colt and the last horse to make it into the starting 16, Forgotten Spirit (Spirit Of Boom).

That Scott Morrisey-trained filly, who has gate 11 for Linda Meech, has had two starts and won neither, running third at the Gold Coast and second at the Sunshine Coast in the transferred main fillies’ lead-up to this Friday night’s feature. Those two runs netted Forgotten Spirit $60,000.

Space Rider has only had one race, winning a 1200-metre two-year-old handicap at Eagle Farm on December 28 by 3.2 lengths. Before that he’d had two barrier trials in October, and another in mid-December.

But there’s no regret in not starting the $500,000 yearling sooner. It wasn’t how he was made.

“He’s not a flashy, short course two-year-old type,” Kent said. “He looks like a real autumn two-year-old or even a spring three-year-old sort of horse. In fact, it’s fair to say he surprised us a little bit at Eagle Farm, winning like he did, because he’s far from being furnished.”

That makes the possibility of missing a start this Friday night a little more palatable. Kent and Price already believe he’ll be prime candidate for races such as the Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) after two more months of development, and that the extra distance of the ATC Sire’s Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) would be ideal.

Perhaps out of practicality, or the old line that it’s the hope that kills you, Kent says he’s resigned to not gaining a start this Friday night. Space Rider is entered for another 1200-metre two-year-old handicap at Eagle Farm the following day, and the trainer insists he’s more focused on that.

But, not that he dabbles in schadenfreude, there is always hope – especially when it comes to a group of 16 skittish two-year-olds aimed at the 2YO Classic.

“Ultimately, for such a big race, a horse has to be not quite right for it not to run,” he said. “You don’t wish that on anybody, but I suppose there is some chance. They are two-year-olds, and you never know – one more gallop could put one over the top.

“If we were to get a run, I think he’d run extremely well. He’s in rare form, Space Rider. We’re happy with how he’s going, it’s an open race, he’s got a perfect barrier, and he’s proven himself to get a strong 1200 metres – which a lot of the others haven’t.

“If anything, he’s getting better with time. He’s a big scopey animal, so I think he’ll improve again this Saturday, and then continue to improve as we forge our way into the autumn.

“But realistically, as for getting a run on Friday night, I don’t think anything will happen. I’m very much resigned to not getting a start, and assuming we’ll be going to Eagle Farm on Saturday.”

That’s all well and good, but since this is an industry built on hope after all …

Kent won’t be lurking behind corners and sticking his leg out, but should some terribly unfortunate fate befall one of the other 16, for Space Rider this could be a rare occasion when it pays to be an emergency.

Those confirmed in the field didn’t work on Saturday morning, since they were supposed to race that afternoon. Not so Space Rider, and presumably the other four emergencies who’d been scratched that morning.

“The horses who were all there on Saturday missed a morning of working on Saturday morning, and they had Saturday and Sunday off. That can sometimes be tricky, with fillies in particular,” Kent said of the starting 16, 11 of whom are female.

“But we knew our fate by 7.30am, so Space Rider had a nice bowl around on Saturday morning. Nothing’s really changed for him. He’s maintained his condition and form, so it shouldn’t affect him at all.”

Kent has the benefit of having a better view of his horses than most trainers: the former successful picnic jockey rides them in work, usually on slow mornings since fast days are a trainer’s busiest.

“I’ve had the joy of riding him every day – bar his gallop – while I’ve been here at the Coast for the Magic Millions sale,” he said. “It’s like riding a Rolls Royce.

“I can’t fault him. He really wants 1200 metres. He’s got a big galloping action, so Eagle Farm makes sense in the short term.

“Ultimately, the goal would be to get him into the Slipper, and then we really do feel that potentially 1400 metres after that would be his sweet spot.”

Space Rider was bred by Michael Christian’s Longwood Farm, and was bought for $500,000 at the Gold Coast last year by Price, Dermot Farrington Bloodstock and Tony Fung Investments, the managing owner whose two-toned blue colours he carries.

His brother – also a brother to Group 3 winner Brereton – was sold by Longwood for $675,000 at the Gold Coast last week to China Horse Club, Newgate Bloodstock and partners. Christian told ANZ a “well put together, lovely” sister is on the ground, while the siblings’ Group 3-winning dam Fuddle Dee Duddle (Red Ransom) is yet again in-foal to Zoustar.

Whether Space Rider starts at the Gold Coast on Friday night, or an hour up the road the next day, the Price-Kent team will go in buoyed by recent successes.

Their new Rosehill stable has made an impressive start, with Outback Miss (Rubick) scoring first-up from a long break at Warwick Farm last Wednesday, and Grand Impact (Satono Aladdin) winning at Wyong’s metro meeting on Saturday.

Add to those the successes of His Finest Hour (Proisir) at Pakenham on Friday and Too Darn Crystal (Too Darn Hot) at Cranbourne on Saturday, and 2025 is looking rosy for Price and Kent.

Now, if only that well-worn refresh button can bring them some good tidings in the next three days. Despite how sanguine Kent sounded on Monday, anyone within earshot will hear if it happens.