CARROLL STREET

17th Apr 2021

Price Bloodstock principal, David Price isn’t letting the grass grow under his brand after highly-promising youngster Carroll Street racked up the operation’s 700th Hong Kong winner at Sha Tin on Saturday.

Douglas Whyte-trained Carroll Street made it two wins from only three starts when he was never going to lose the Class 3 straight sprint, and it was an appropriate combination to bring up the milestone.

“Douglas would have ridden a big chunk of that 700 wins when he was riding for Johnny Size,” Price said. “Every milestone is satisfying but now everyone at home is working hard to get to 800 wins as soon as possible.”

And Carroll Street looks set to play his part in that, with the fledgling trainer Whyte admitting that he was learning more all the time about how to handle precocious young talents.

He said Carroll Street is still growing, making significant physical development since arriving Australia, as well as learning what racing is all about.

“You can get them ready to win first-up but it is how you cuddle them after that that matters,” he said. “You can bring them back to the races if they are tough enough but if you bring them back and you hurt them, it can take a long time to get over it.

“Carroll Street is one of the few that indicated to me that he did his best in those first two runs, so it was time to back off a bit. When he came to Hong Kong he was tiny. He has grown substantially, even though he still looks small. Besides a growth spurt, mentally he has been a big changer. He has come from the bush and hit the city of Hong Kong and gone ‘wow’.”

Whyte said he will be advancing cautiously and won’t be pushing the three-year-old too far in his first campaign as he rises through the classes and meets more seasoned opposition.

“We will look at the programme and see what is available for him,” he said. “He isn’t a horse I will bring back to the races too soon. He is small but he gives his best and he will appreciate a bit of time between races.”