Mick Price is maintaining his ambition for his colt Guest House to compete in The Everest, despite the horse’s recent setback in the Golden Rose.

The Golden Slipper victor experienced his first unplaced run when finishing sixth, more than five lengths behind the winner Warwoven, in a chaotic Group 1 race for three-year-olds last Saturday.

While Price and his co-trainer Michael Kent Jnr were understandably disappointed that Guest House couldn’t live up to his short-priced favourite status, Price indicated that the colt’s recovery from the race provided no cause to alter their initial strategy.

“My opinion was to keep The Everest alive, as you would,” Price stated when asked about his post-race communication with Guest House’s owners, which includes Coolmore Stud.

“I’ll probably send him to Mount White, the Coolmore facility there, where he goes in the cold water and has a freshen up and then you’ve got three weeks back into The Everest.

“I think it’ll work good. If they don’t want to do it fair enough, but that’s what I’d been doing.”

The $20 million Group 1 The Everest (1200m), once again set to be dominated by Hong Kong’s premier sprinter Ka Ying Rising, is scheduled to take place at Randwick on October 17.

Guest House was involved in a tight contest with St Gotthard during the middle stages of the Golden Rose. Price expressed relief that the colt emerged from his first attempt at 1400 metres in better condition than he did following his initial victory in the Group 3 San Domenico Stakes (1100m).

“He trotted out good and he pulled up better this morning than he did after the San Domenico,” Price reported from Caulfield on Sunday.

“He had no joy in running, there was some fairly aggressive riding going on there, and he didn’t appreciate it when they sat up midfield and he got on heels.

“Then he went to come out on him and got hip-and-shouldered back in and overraced.

“The winner was great, to be fair, but I think 1400 is inconclusive based on yesterday.”

Guest House is currently available at $15 on the third line of betting for The Everest, trailing only the strong favourite Ka Ying Rising and last year’s runner-up, Tempted. Consider checking out Australian betting sites for the latest odds.