Training partners Robert and Luke Price won’t forget day two of The Championships in a hurry. The father and son team brought only two horses to Royal Randwick, but came away with a healthy portion of the prize money and truckloads of satisfaction.
The first adrenaline rush was provided by five year old mare Liveinthefastlane who “ran out of her skin” to grab third place in the Polytrack Provincial Championship Final. Robert and Luke were still on a high thirty five minutes later as the stable representative Jamaea joined eight other two year old fillies in the gates for the one million dollar Gr 2 Percy Sykes Stakes.
It was obvious from the outset that Tommy Berry was intent on going back from the outside gate, in the hope a run between horses would present itself in the straight. It worked out as planned although it did get a bit tight for a few strides inside the 200m. Jamaea may have “brushed” Najmaty as she came through the gap, but the favourite was well beaten at the time.
The best part of Jamaea’s race was the last hundred metres. The Headwater filly hit the line with great intent to run down the well tried favourite Crystal Bound from the Maher/Eustace camp. The filly’s owners were easy prey for the television cameras in the first euphoric moments after the important stakes race.
Jamaea had her mind right on the job as she defeated the favourite Crystal Bound in the Percy Sykes Stakes - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
The cheer squad comprised twin brothers Bruce and Ken Noble, Ken’s wife Mary, and the four members of the Big Five O Syndicate. Some of the elated owners were wearing ties and caps of royal stewart tartan in keeping with the Price stable colours of white, tartan maltese cross and armbands. Like most winning owners on the big days at Randwick the excited group were observed on the lawn opposite the winning post, casting inhibitions aside.
Jamaea made her debut in a four horse field at Kembla Grange on January 23rd with stable apprentice Brock Ryan in the saddle. Despite losing her bearings a couple of times in the straight, she showed loads of natural ability in accounting for Fox Fighter and odds on favourite Festival Dancer. Brock Ryan retained the ride two weeks later when Jamaea contested the listed Lonhro Plate at Randwick. After being held up in the straight she hit the line impressively in going under by only a short neck to Tilianam.
The decision was made to ride her a little closer in the Sweet Embrace Stakes at Randwick, in which she was far from disgraced in finishing sixth only 3.2 lengths from Four Moves Ahead. “Brock had to bustle her a little bit early from an inside gate and she never really looked comfortable,” said Robert Price. “She tried hard enough and wasn’t far away but just looked to be out of her comfort zone. We decided there and then, she wouldn’t be ridden that way again.”
On the Tuesday before the Magic Night Stakes, Brock Ryan suffered a tibia fracture in what looked to be a simple trackwork fall at Kembla. His worst fears were realised when Doctors told him he’d be out at least six weeks. Tommy Berry gained the ride on the filly in the Gr 3 at Rosehill on March 13th. This performance clearly vindicated the decision to ride her quietly. Last of seven to the turn and unsuited by a muddling speed she charged down the outside to dead heat for second with Robodira, behind the very talented Godolphin filly Arcaded. Robert and Luke made a decision after the Magic Night which turned out to be a masterstroke.
“She wasn’t herself after that race,” said Robert. “She was quite flat the following day and it was obvious she was feeling the effects of a pretty long campaign. With the Percy Sykes Stakes still five weeks away we decided to send her to Turpentine Park at Cambewarra for a full week off. Plenty of paddock, plenty of grass and a complete change of environment from our Kembla stables. It was a very wet week and she spent most of the time in her paddock shelter, but you could see her picking up day by day.”
Covid restrictions still separate jockeys from winning connections. Robert Price listens intently to Tommy Berry's assessment of Jamaea's win - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Jamaea looked very focused when she cantered home in an 800m trial at Kembla on April 7th. The ten day gap to the Percy Sykes Stakes worked out perfectly. With that all important stakes win under her belt, the daughter of Headwater will now head to the paddock with a spring campaign on the agenda. “It’s the right time to get her back into the paddock,” said Robert. “She’s not a robust filly who has a fair bit of maturing to do yet.”
There are several options for her next time around including the four race Princess Series. Saturday’s triumph further consolidates the training partnership formulated by Robert and his son just four years ago. They had both previously trained as individual licensees from Turpentine Park at Cambewarra.
“Turpentine Park is a magnificent property and offers every conceivable facility, but owners want their horses closer to town these days,” said Robert. “Thanks to the Dickerson family we had the use of one of the best training properties in Australia but we couldn’t attract the clientele we needed to stay afloat. Four years ago Luke and I formed a partnership and were lucky enough to acquire forty boxes at Kembla Grange. Those boxes are now full most of the time.”
Robert actually lives in Berry but continues to spend a great deal of time at Turpentine Park where he keeps spellers, pre trainers and a few racehorses. His daughter Rachael actually manages the property and is quickly across any problems. Luke lives a stone’s throw from the Kembla barn with his wife Elizabeth and children Gabrielle, Lily and Finn. Speculation is rife that a baby sibling is due in August.
The Price training duo with Eugene's Pick after a Randwick win 20/02/2019 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
It’s not widely known that Robert Price started his racing life as an apprentice jockey with Nowra trainer Fred Thomason. He got as far as a handful of trial rides, but rapidly increasing weight forced him to abandon the project. He immediately joined the bricklaying trade on the South Coast, all the time harbouring the intention of training racehorses in the future.
“Sometime later I tried a couple of horses which had to be worked before it was time to go to my real job,” he recalled. “On slow days I would ride one and lead one to the Berry Showground where the late, great Kevin Robinson stabled his horses. Kevin was to become my valued friend and mentor and eventually my father-in-law. Patricia and I have been married for thirty seven years and we’re the proud parents of sons Luke and Benjamin and daughter Rachael, who between them have given us seven wonderful grandchildren.
Robert was desperately keen to become a full time trainer, but observed the hard and fast rule that he wouldn’t even attempt it, until he held the deeds of his first home in his hand. He took the first tentative steps on the road to professional training when Duo Bellissimo won a Kembla maiden in 1990 but it was a while before his first city winner came along. That distinction belongs to Phantom King who actually put consecutive Warwick Farm wins together in 1993.
The talented horseman has made the most of every opportunity to come his way in subsequent years. He’s been quick to identify the potential of new horses coming into his care and knows when it’s time to bring them to the city. Robert has won many metropolitan races with horses like Belle Voyage, Keeping The Faith, Art Official, One Way Ticket, Kosta Nothin’, Ivory Pegasus and her dam Red Ivory.
Robert has been training since 1990, but was pleased to team with Luke when stables became available at Kembla four years ago - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Luke Price showed exceptional talent in the saddle from a very early age. Not even his height of 173cm detracted from his burning ambition to become a jockey. Robert was training from stables at Nowra when he finally agreed to apprentice his son who got away to a flying start. Luke quickly out rode his country claim and was showing so much promise that his father suggested a move to a city stable. “Guy Walter was happy to sign him up and the winners continued to flow,” said Rob. “Guy was tremendously impressed with him.”
Luke’s promising career was brought to a devastating halt in a race at Warwick Farm in 2002 when he clipped the heels of a horse in front approaching the hometurn. Observers believed his sheer height contributed to the awkward way in which he landed. Luke suffered a traumatic fracture to the C2 vertebrae which effectively left him with a broken neck, and within a hair’s breadth of quadriplegia.
“His commitment to rehabilitation was unbelievable,” recalled Robert. “He followed all of his medical advice to a tee with thoughts of a comeback uppermost in his mind. He never stopped believing that he’d get back into the saddle. A year or so later he started riding work again and before long he was back at the races.”
Sadly Luke’s bodyweight had soared during his long absence. It seemed that trainers who’d supported him previously were now waiting to see if he was going to make it back in a fiercely competitive arena. “He was starving himself for two or three rides a week,” said Rob. “He made the most of the few opportunities to come his way, winning 35 races before it all got the better of him. In all he rode around 110 winners.”
Luke joined his father as stable foreman in 2004 but predictably acquired his own licence some eight years later. Both have enjoyed a good deal of individual success these past nine years, but the decision to join forces when the Kembla operation began made good business sense. Luke’s passion for riding still runs deep. He can be seen putting a few horses through their paces most mornings of the week, although the bulk of the team are ridden in their work by first year apprentice Madison Waters and promising newcomer Cameron Dignan. The talented and very frustrated Brock Ryan will rejoin the team when he gets over his untimely leg break.
With Jamaea in the paddock for an extended break, Robert and Luke look forward to the return of the promising Count De Rupee - a son of Deep Impact and from the family of the multiple Gr 1 winner Lankan Rupee. The gelding has won three from seven so far, a maiden and class one at Kembla and a strong win at Rosehill in January. He comfortably won a trial at Kembla on April 7th, and will reappear shortly.
For Robert Price who recently turned 60, it’s been a fascinating journey from the little Berry Showground to the sacred confines of the Randwick winner’s circle. Rob’s late father-in-law Kevin Robinson stood there a few times during his distinguished training career. Perhaps his most notable visit was the one made possible by Kenbelle when she won the AJC Oaks in 1996. The master horseman would have been proud to see both his son-in-law and grandson occupying that hallowed spot on Saturday.
The promising Count De Rupee (Kathy O'Hara) wins at Rosehill 16/01/2021 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
(Banner image - Jamaea was strong on the line in winning the Gr.2 Percy Sykes Stakes - courtesy Bradley Photographers.)