First Settler will challenge for Group 1 honours in the Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington.

A gallop at Cranbourne in preparation for the Coolmore Stud Stakes has left the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable with only one runner in the stallion making race. 

The gallop on Saturday morning convinced Price that First Settler was right to take his place, but at the same time showed Reserve Bank was ready for a break. 

"Reserve Bank, I wasn't 100% happy with him, so he's going out after an average run at Caulfield, where it was disappointing," Price said. 

"The Caulfield run I think was more of a horse that was showing signs that as a spring three-year-old, he's not ready to train on, so we'll give him a breather and bring him back in the autumn." 

Price is delighted with the progress of First Settler who did not make his debut until late June. 

First Settler had been up and about as an early two-year-old, but a mishap in the barriers in one of the first Victorian races for youngsters delayed the start of his career. 

It has been go, go, go for First Settler who had two starts, for two wins, in relatively quick succession before a break to prepare for the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday. 

After his debut win, First Settler has raced exclusively Flemington to gain as much straight track experience as possible. 

Underdone after his break, Growing Empire, also part-owned by Yulong Investments and entered in Saturday's race, had the better First Settler in the Listed Poseidon Stakes (1100m) on September 14 before the colt scored narrowly from Reserve Bank in the Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1100m) on October 5. 

Price had considered taking First Settler to the Listed Gothic Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on October 19 but resisted. 

"I think that it will be alright, because with spring three-year-olds, you can do too much with them," Price said. 

"I don't usually do four weeks between runs with a colt, but I think that's a better way to go than to have run him in the Gothic and keep running him and running him, because from the time he had his first start to this race, I think he's only had 17 days off. 

"I'm trying to time his run in when I was originally going to run in the Poseidon and then the Gothic, but he was so well, I had to run in the Danehill. 

"I'm glad I did, because he won and he's now a Group two-winner, which basically finds himself a home at stud and now we're after the Group 1. 

"The Coolmore's like the Golden Slipper for three-year-olds and the race for a potential stallion. 

"Traffic Warden, Switzerland, and I suppose Growing Empire, they'll turn up. 

"It's a good race. It's always a good race and it finds a colt a home at stud."