Trainer Mick Price will map out a Caulfield Guineas path for Immortal Love who scored a last stride win in the Group 3 $160,000 H.D.F. McNeil Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield today.
Immortal Love ($9.50) made it three wins from three starts with a grinding finish from back in the field to get the judge’s decision by a nose over Flying Award ($10).
Blue Diamond Stakes winner Tagaloa was sent out as the $3.40 favourite and just when he was being called the winner was swamped on the line and had to settle for third spot, another nose away.
Winning jockey Craig Newitt only had two runners behind him in the early and middle stages before working into the clear on the home turn.
Newitt brought Immortal Love to the outside and the Mick Price and Michael Kent (Jnr) trained Snitzel gelding found top gear to reel in the pacesetters.
Price will now aim Immortal Love towards the Group 1 $2m Neds Caulfield Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 10 and said that a wet track would improve the gelding by three lengths.
“It certainly wasn’t the plan to be so far back,” Price said.
“He must have been slow out. I was trying to watch three at once. He did a great job and you could add about three lengths to his form if it does rain.”
“I would say he will go to the Exford in two weeks, then the Guineas Prelude and the Caulfield Guineas.”
“His second start at Flemington, he was quite dominant on a wet track so if we are lucky enough top get a wet track for him, you can just add three lengths to him.”