Price Believes Leami Astray Will Fulfil Potential In TAB Highway – Rosehill (Sat, 27th Aug)

A Moruya track record last season by a debut maiden winner was unheard off, and a follow up runaway win at Nowra confirmed Robert Price’s Leami Astray as one of the hottest prospects in country racing and surely destined for bigger occasions.

Price, who makes judgement riding his own trackwork, explains why the talented flyer was subsequently beaten twice and will accept with reservations for a return in a strong $60,000 TAB Highway Handicap (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

“She tore a belly muscle at Gosford and we didn’t detect the extent of the injury until she raced way below her best again at Nowra,” Price said. “But she’s come back at her very best again- exceptional.

“In a recent jump out at Kembla, just brilliant, she clocked the time of performed sprinters. They just don’t do what she did in her first two starts and have a let down unless something was seriously amiss and it was.

“But while we’ll accept with Kathy O’Hara to ride, she won’t run if the weather deteriorates and the track is rain-affected. We’ll wait and see.

“This mare needs to be on top of the ground and at this early stage of her prep we won’t be taking any risks. Not with the opinion I’ve got of her into the future, she’s a natural high speed mare.”

Price says Leami Astray has made natural progression to return stronger and more mature as a four-year-old. Leami Astray set a 950m Moruya record first start in December, and was spelled after winning again by a widening five lengths in a class one at Nowra.

She resumed with stable ambitions for a listed fillies’ event at the Emirates Park Scone Carnival until her issues emerged and Price turned her out again.

– Racing NSW

Share this article