Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr form one of Melbourne’s most successful and respected training partnerships, and the way they complement each other is really something. Operating from their Caulfield base, the duo have combined Price’s decades of elite-level experience with Kent Jr’s youthful energy and modern training methods to create a stable that consistently produces Group 1 winners across all distances. They’ve been particularly deadly with three-year-old gallopers, posting an outstanding record in the classic races that define each racing generation.
Partnership Formation
Mick Price has been a fixture at the top of Melbourne racing for over two decades. A former jumps jockey turned trainer, Price built his reputation with a string of quality gallopers including Mahler and the brilliant filly Generate, among many others. His ability to identify and develop young talent made him one of Australia’s most sought-after trainers, and his partnership with Michael Kent Jr — son of former Group 1 trainer Michael Kent — was formalised in 2019. Kent Jr brought a fresh perspective shaped by experience in international racing jurisdictions and a keen analytical mind.
Together, Price and Kent Jr have elevated the stable’s output to genuinely impressive new heights. Multiple Caulfield Guineas winners, victories in the Golden Rose, success across the Melbourne and Sydney carnivals — the Group 1 record speaks for itself. The partnership’s real strength lies in those complementary skills: Price’s intuition and feel for a horse combined with Kent Jr’s attention to data and race planning. With over 40 Group 1 victories across Price’s career, the stable remains one of the most formidable operations in Australian racing.
Trainer Profile
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Partnership | Mick Price & Michael Kent Jr |
| Partnership Since | 2019 |
| Base | Caulfield, VIC |
| Career Group 1 Wins | 40+ (Price’s full career) |
| Caulfield Guineas Wins | Multiple |
| Golden Rose Wins | Multiple |
| Notable Horses | Generate, Mahler, Cerberus, Hitotsu, Roch ‘N’ Horse |
Three-Year-Old Specialists
The stable’s record with three-year-olds is particularly impressive and deserves a closer look. Their approach to the classic generation — identifying talented types at the yearling sales, placing them thoughtfully through the grades, and peaking them for the big three-year-old features — has produced an exceptional strike rate in races like the Caulfield Guineas, Thousand Guineas, and Golden Rose. That specialty attracts high-quality clients and ensures a constant flow of promising young horses into the stable.
NC — Staff sports writer, australiafootball.com