The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable has indicated a reluctance to campaign Bustling in Sydney again, opting instead to focus their racing efforts in Melbourne.
Bustling is set to contest the Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday for the fourth time this campaign, aiming to secure his first victory since May 2024.
While Bustling has only had four starts since his last win, the gelding was initially acquired with the prestigious The Everest in mind.
However, Bustling has faltered in two previous attempts in Sydney.
His initial foray saw Bustling finish second last in the Group 2 Run To The Rose (1200m) at Rosehill, a run that preceded a 20-month hiatus from racing. More recently, he finished seventh at Randwick on June 20.
Before these Sydney excursions, Bustling had achieved consecutive placings at Caulfield, including a first-up run over 1000m on May 9 and a second in the Listed Bel Esprit Stakes (1100m) on May 30.
Kent Jnr expressed disappointment with Bustling’s performance in his last outing.
“We had him in at Flemington down the straight and in Sydney that day,” Kent Jnr said.
“I was a bit cautious on Sydney because he had failed there once before, but I thought that was in the past.
“Horses change states all the time, so I had to find out.
“Talking to both track managers, the surface at Randwick was going to be much better and as it worked out, he didn’t fire a shot in Sydney which was in stark contrast to how he had been progressing in Melbourne where he felt like we were building to a win.
“He ran a first-up third, we didn’t think he could win over 1000 (metres) with a big weight, but he progressed nicely, ran second in the Bel Esprit, a Listed race, and went to Sydney looking for better ground, but hated that way of going.
“He layed-in up the straight badly and he came out of the gates and knuckled badly, but he pulled-up perfect and we’re looking forward to Saturday.
“Fourth-up, he can’t be much fitter, and Blake Shinn rode him on Monday morning in a piece of work and thought it was excellent.”
Kent Jnr added that Bustling should be at peak fitness on Saturday, having finally shed the ‘excess’ weight gained during his extended absence from racing.
“It takes a while to get rid of two years of fat from not racing,” Kent Jnr explained.
“He had been in and out of work, but there was no high-end trials or races and it takes a while for them, and I really think we’ve got the horse fit.”
Despite the race being a non-claiming event, apprentice jockey Logan Bates has been booked for the ride.
For those looking to back Bustling in the Sir John Monash Stakes, consider checking out the latest racing odds available at Australian betting sites.