It was Wednesday morning August 24th. Robert Price and his wife Patricia were halfway through a rare seven day break at Noosa Heads when the phone call came from son and co trainer Luke. Robert knew stable star Count De Rupee had contested one of the fortnightly Kembla Grange “jump outs” and assumed that Luke was simply ringing with a report. “The second I heard his voice I knew something was wrong,” said Robert. “Looking back now I realise Luke was in a state of shock when he told me that Count De Rupee or “Jimmy” as we called him, had collapsed and died during the workout. For a few seconds I couldn’t make sense of the phone call but the reality soon struck home.”
The immensely talented five year old had just begun a spring campaign which may have taken him to another level. Eighteen days earlier he’d run a very pleasing first up fifth to Hard Empire in the Gr 2 Missile Stakes. With his next assignment the Tramway Stakes still ten days away, the decision was made to give him a solid gallop in the jump-out. Tommy Berry had made a special trip to ride the gelding, before honouring commitments at the Kensington meeting. He didn’t make it to Randwick.
In the closing stages of the hit out, Count De Rupee was travelling on the outside of a stablemate ridden by the Price’s first season apprentice “Cammy” Dignam. “Cammy told us later she remembers seeing a small discharge of blood from Count De Rupee’s nostrils a second before he started to wobble towards the outside fence,” said Robert. “When it was obvious he was going to crash through the fence Tommy bailed out. Thankfully he escaped injury, but was stood down from his Kensington engagements. A heart attack was the immediate conclusion, but an autopsy has subsequently been carried out and the results are about to be released.”
Happier days - Robert and Luke after "Jimmy's" dashing win in The Gong - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
For Robert and Luke and their families, and all connected with the Kembla training operation the tragedy brought great grief. The popular gelding’s achievements were thrilling enough. His promise of further success on the big stage was a source of great anticipation for all concerned. “It’s funny how little things can hit home hard after a tragedy like this,” said Robert. “He’s always been in box number 1 at our stables, directly opposite the office. He was a beautiful quiet horse in the box, and always had his head over the door watching everything that was going on. If somebody walked up to him he’d immediately extend his head to encourage a scratch on the nose. He was an absolute joy to be around.”
“It was tough working out which horse would replace him in box 1. The first tenant was an unnamed Star Witness two year old. The current occupant is old Cuban Royale whose seven win record entitles him to some respect. He’s much more interested in the contents of the feed bin than he is in getting his nose scratched.”
Count De Rupee’s reputation as a burgeoning topliner started to gather momentum a year ago when he finished a strong third to Aim in the Silver Eagle after striking trouble at the top of the straight. Three weeks later he gave his co trainers and a big ownership group a massive thrill when he headed Apache Chase at the 100m and fleetingly looked the winner of the fabulously rich Golden Eagle. They weren’t expecting the freakish finishing burst from I’m Thunderstruck which would see the Victorian snatch the major prize from under Count De Rupee’s nose. The form was franked when I’m Thunderstruck went on to finish second in races like the All Star Mile, the Doncaster and the Memsie Stakes before getting his consolation in the Gr 1 Makybe Diva Stakes on September 10th. A second prize money cheque of $1.5 million went a long way towards softening the blow for the Count De Rupee camp.
I'm Thunderstruck (Hugh Bowman) grabs Count De Rupee (Brock Ryan) in the last few strides of the Golden Eagle - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Brock Ryan’s ride on Count De Rupee in the Golden Eagle was flawless. His ride in The Gong two weeks later was every bit as good. At the end of 200m he’d slotted in from barrier 13 to be one horse off the fence in sixth spot. He followed Dawn Passage every step of the way and switched outside that horse on straightening. Ryan allowed Count De Rupee to cruise into second place at the 200m before letting him produce his trademark turn of foot. “Jimmy” dashed clear to win The Gong by more than a length from Nudge and Yamazaki. For connections it was a fairy-tale hometown win. Brock Ryan is currently on the injured list, an all too familiar scenario for the young jockey in recent times.
Following a let up and one soft barrier trial, Count De Rupee was taken to Melbourne for a crack at the historic Newmarket Hcp. Like many Sydney visitors before him the gelding got completely “lost” down the straight course and finished with the tailenders. Luck deserted him in the T.J. Smith when he missed the start and never got into the race. He was somewhere near his best again in a strong Hall Mark Stakes, when a neck second to Kementari on an unsuitable Heavy 8 track. He then headed to Brisbane for a quick two start campaign accompanied by his talented stablemate Jamaea. Back on firm ground, Count De Rupee scored a smart win in the Gr 2 Victory Stakes over the Eagle Farm 1200m. He defeated recent Flemington winner Scallopini with Jamaea and Startantes close up.
A Heavy 8 track and a very wide run decimated his chances in Mazu’s Doomben $10,000 after which he returned to the South Coast for a well-earned break. Count De Rupee’s spring campaign began with a close second to quality mare Forbidden Love in a Randwick barrier trial on July 26th. He was still on the “new” side when he resumed eleven days later in the Missile Stakes in which he was a closing fifth from a rearward spot, less than three lengths from the winner Hard Empire. Robert and Luke were looking forward so much to races like the Tramway and Epsom. Count De Rupee had furnished into a powerful five year old, and there was little doubt his best campaign lay ahead.
Brock Ryan gave Count De Rupee a perfect run before racing away to win The Gong, November 2021 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
The co trainers reflect on the ill fated gelding as not only the best horse to come through the operation, but the horse to bring them under notice as very serious horse trainers. “There’s no doubt he lifted our profile,” said Robert. “Normally we’d have no more than ten or twelve two year olds on the books at this time of year. Currently we have thirty four in the system by some very fashionable stallions - a couple by Russian Revolution, a Pariah filly, a Dundeel half sister to Count De Rupee, a Harry’s Angel colt and three youngsters by I Am Invincible.”
Talented mare Jamaea who has lived in the shadow of Count De Rupee this past year will carry the stable’s white and tartan silks during the Everest carnival. Coincidentally all but one member of the Count de Rupee syndicate is involved in the ownership of Jamaea. The Headwater mare has been carefully managed by the Price duo, having raced only fifteen times for three wins, five placings and a healthy $1.01 million dollars. Two of her wins, the Percy Sykes Stakes and the Furious Stakes carried Group 2 status.
Jamaea (Tom Berry) was too strong for Crystal Bound in last year's Gr. 2 Percy Sykes Stakes - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Jamaea’s two runs back from a spell indicate she’s right on track. She resumed with a solid second to Zapateo in the Toy Show Quality on August 20th, and followed up with a close fourth in Kiku’s Theo Marks Stakes three weeks later. She will step up to 1400m in this week’s Golden Pendant. “We’re hoping for a decent barrier and a good enough showing to earn a spot in the second Invitation on October 22nd,” said Robert.
By now Cuban Royale will have well and truly settled into the coveted number 1 stable at the Price establishment, and the thought of relocating him probably hasn’t occurred to the trainers. It seems the old boy wouldn’t care where he lives as long as the feed bin’s in good order. It wouldn’t hurt to let Jamaea move into Count De Rupee’s old stable for a day or two before the Golden Pendant. Might be a good omen.
The Royal Stewart tartan was hard to miss among the winning ownership group after The Gong - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
(Banner image - Luke Price proudly leads Count De Rupee back to the winner's circle after The Gong - courtesy Bradley Photographers.)