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By Ray Hickson

Co-trainer Rob Price concedes there are questions local hero Count De Rupee must answer if he’s to win Saturday’s $1 million TAB Gong (1600m) at Kembla Grange.

Trainer Robert Price (Pic: Bradley Photos)

How will he negotiate the wide draw? Will he run a strong mile if the track is testing?

But Price says the four-year-old, narrowly beaten in the Golden Eagle at his latest appearance, has just continued to get better and he hasn’t reached the peak of his powers yet so can only be confident he’ll clear any hurdle put in front of him.

“Like a lot of questions, you don’t really know until you try,’’ Price said.

“We know we’ve got a serious horse. And he could well be a horse for the Everest, he’d be the sort of horse fresh over 1200m he’d be diabolical I reckon.

“You only have to look at the day he won first-up at Kembla he went faster than Anamoe. I think he will be a better horse in six months too.

“A little bit like Think It Over he’s going to get better with time.”

We’ll leave possibilities for 2022 and the TAB Everest aside for now, Count De Rupee’s immediate task is to run out the mile at Kembla Grange on what could be anything from an ideal soft 5 to a testing heavy 8 or so depending on if the forecast is right.

Price, who co-trains with son Luke, said barrier 17 won’t make jockey Brock Ryan’s task easy but Kembla does offer a long run to the first bend much like the famous Randwick mile start.

“If we get the rain it’s going to be tough. He’s going to need to find a back and relax in the run. It’s a genuine mile,’’ he said.

“I’ve always thought, since I was a young bloke watching racing, over a mile you’ve just got to draw nice. If we get the weather they are predicting (the barrier) won’t matter.

“You’ve got to deal with the cards you’ve dealt. The track’s quite soft and maybe in close won’t be the place to be.

“It is a long run down the back, you’ve got time to find a spot. You need to be getting in before the bend though.

“We’re almost certainly going to have to have him midfield or a tad worse, looking for a back. Brock knows Kembla really well which is a good thing, he knows the ins and outs of the track.”

Count De Rupee, $3.50 favourite with TAB on Thursday, has taken the run in the Golden Eagle in his stride and Price said he couldn’t be in better order for The Gong.

“We’re happy with him, he’s come through the run sensationally. The week after he was perfect,’’ he said.

“I think his work on Tuesday could have been better but the track was quite heavy and Luke nursed him a bit.”

While Price mentioned the TAB Everest as the dream goal for next year the reality is a lot more will be known after Saturday.

It’s likely the horse won’t have a long spell as he tends to thrive when he’s in work.

“I’d like to sit down with the owners and try to nut something out,’’ he said.

Count De Rupee runs second in the Golden Eagle

“The world is his oyster at this stage, we can see how he performs over a truly run mile and that will answer a lot of questions.”

Stablemate Kobestar has the chance to return to his best form after the Four Pillars basically became a non-event for him when he drew the outside alley and had to go back to last.

He made some ground but Price said it’s best forgotten when assessing his chances in the PFD Food Services Midway (1400m).

“He went back from a horrible barrier and you couldn’t make ground up. Everyone was trying to cut the corner but it was an M7 on a Friday arvo,’’ he said.

“The best part of that run, which on face value looked ordinary, was the last 50 yards. He picked himself up and got going. It was an impossible feat to be able to make ground up on that day.”

Prior to the Four Pillars, Kobestar won at Gosford and had chased home the speedy Delexo in his other runs this time in. Price is confident enough the gelding would handle a wet track.

“He’s trained on well he looks good, the conditions look right for him, he has no weight and that’s his distance,’’ he said.

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's The Gong meeting at Kembla Grange