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By Ray Hickson

One horse has been specifically set for the race while the other raced his way back into favour and together Victory Lane and Satness give Robert and Luke Price a strong hand in Saturday’s $500,000 Four Pillars Midway (1500m) at Rosehill.

Trainer Luke Price

It’s fair to say Satness was stretching the friendship, particularly with Robert Price, when his record stood at one win from 29 starts back in June. It’s now four from 36.

On the other hand Victory Lane has won two from 13 and still has the best ahead of him.

Luke Price would say they’re hard to split on paper but it’s tough to ignore the advantage Satness has been handed with gate two as opposed to 23 (before scratchings) for Victory Lane.

“Every time he goes to the races he gets a cheque and gives his all, makes it an easy horse to train,’’ Price said.

“You just know what you get with him. He’ll be on speed and he’ll still be there trying his hardest.

“He’s been in a good routine all preparation. Dad was talking about moving him on at the start of the year and I said I think he might come good, he’s getting better and better.

"So hopefully he can repay the faith.”

Satness won a Midway at Randwick in September over the mile and his past two seconds have come at the 1400m trip, the latest run down by Peace Officer two weeks ago.

“He’s been racing over unsuitable trips his last two but he just thrives on racing,’’ he said.

“I was going to go a month into the Four Pillars but he came through that run so well I had to go around again the other day.”

The Four Pillars is one of the widest betting races seen in some time with a $9 favourite with TAB on Friday – Satness was a $9.50 chance and that has him on the second line.

Victory Lane, a $19 chance, ran an eye-catching sixth in the same Midway as his stablemate a fortnight ago after going back from a wide gate and Price said another wide draw has hurt his chances but with some rain forecast it could allow horses to run on.

“He’s been totally set for the race,’’ he said.

“I went a month between runs first-up into second-up and then drew the wide barrier the other day. Brett Prebble got off and said if he draws a gate he wins next start.”

The gelding will be ridden by Tommy Berry in the Four Pillars and while he’ll obviously need some luck one thing Price is certain of is Victory Lane is absolutely peaking for the race.

Satness runs second and Victory Lane sixth at Randwick on October 21

“He was really keen to get on him and he’s just going to have to ride him good from the barrier, he’s going to need a lot of luck,’’ he said.

“You’ll see the improvement from last start to this start, he looked good last start but he has this glow to his coat that gives me confidence he can go close.

“He just needs luck, but he might be better off out there not being cluttered up if there’s pressure on up front.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Golden Eagle meeting at Rosehill Gardens