Vibrant Sun stays against the girls at Caulfield

Trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr have elected to keep Vibrant Sun against her own sex as she builds towards a Group 1 assignment later in the Spring.

Vibrant Sun runs in the Catanach’s 150 Years Vase (1600m) at Caulfield on Saturday as she builds her fitness levels for the Group 1 Empire Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on November 2.

Price and Kent Jnr had also entered Vibrant Sun for the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) on Saturday where she would have been up against Another Wil and Antino.

“We’re building her towards the Empire Stakes third-up and it’ s a race which she can run really well in,” Kent Jnr said.

Vibrant Sun has been a good spinner for the Price and Kent Jnr yard.

A veteran of only eight starts, Vibrant Sun is a three-time winner with the Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) at Morphettville in April her main scalp.

Vibrant Sun burst onto the scene on the final day of the 2023 Melbourne Cup Carnival winning a Geelong maiden by eight lengths, before backing up a week later in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield.

The autumn was the time for Vibrant Sun to shine, and besides her victory in the Australasian Oaks she was also successful in the Group 3 Alexandra Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley.

Vibrant Sun resumed her current campaign on a wet track at Flemington, finishing tenth in the Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m) last month.

Price and Kent Jnr had contemplated starting Vibrant Sun in the Group 2 Feehan Stakes (1600m) on September 27 but reasoned more time between that first-up run and her second appearance would be more beneficial.

“It came up very, very quickly, 13 days after what was a run on a heavy, heavy track,” Kent Jnr said.

“She won her Group One in the autumn with a little bit of time between runs, so we thought we’d give her a bit of extra time leading into this run.

“That first-up run and then this run on Saturday should build her nicely hopefully to be third-up into the Empire Rose.”