Darryl Sherer
Mick Price has unearthed a couple of autumn carnival three-year-old filly contenders at an off-season meeting at Moonee Valley.
Crack The Code won Saturday's Ladbrokes Handicap (1000m) before Oceanex (NZ) (Ocean Park) took out the Dean & McPherson Catering Handicap (1600m).
Both are different types with Price looking at keeping Catching The Code to races to a maximum of 1200m while it's further the better for Oceanex with her trainer already looking at Oaks races with the filly.
Price said he's planning a Sydney assault with Oceanex but the filly will need to get another win under the belt, and a ratings boost, to be a potential contender.
"She handles bad ground and Sydney can throw up bad ground so I think you have to be optimistic," Price said.
"She's got that Kiwi pedigree going through her to get the journey.
"I think if we can get her to those races we'll see the best of her at 2000 metres and beyond.
"She needs to win another race and get her rating up before getting to those sort of races but I don't want to bottom her out and get to Sydney gone.
"She's thriving at the moment so we might go again, get some prize money, get the rating and then have a little breather." -AAP