Is there a spring star in trainer Mick Price’s three-year-old team capable of rising to the heights achieved by his outstanding pair Extreme Choice and Flying Artie last year?

Extreme Choice and Flying Artie, both now retired to stud, won Group One races in memorable spring campaigns for the Price stable in 2016.

Extreme Choice, after a brilliant two-year-old season when he won the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes, added the G1 Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley to his record at the start of his spring campaign.

His only other spring start saw him finish fifth behind stablemate Flying Artie in the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington.

Price would be fortunate to again have three-year-olds of such prodigious talent but it’s not unfeasible considering the quality of the untapped youngsters the Caulfield trainer is preparing for the spring.

Among them is the Fastnet Rock colt Cao Cao, who will be the first of Price’s spring three-year-olds to be unleashed when he resumes over 1000m at Flemington on Saturday.

Cao Cao had four starts last season, finishing second on debut in the G3 Maribyrnong Plate at Flemington before winning at Moonee Valley last spring. He raced only twice early this year and was given a break after finishing tenth in the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield in late February.

Price plans to start Cao Cao second up in the G2 Danehill Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on September 9 by which time he hopes to have a firm idea on the path to will take with the colt for the rest of the spring.

“He is a strong Fastnet Rock who is a bit roly poly and looks a good sprinting type of colt,” Price said.

“I am not sure if he is a Caulfield Guineas horse but we will see how he is going before deciding which way we head with him.”

The colts Ardrossan, Lone Eagle, King’s Authority, Ouyang Feng, Grunt, Octabello, Zhang Liao and Hulme and the filly She’s So High are other three-year-olds on Price’s short list for spring honours.

Price provided ANZ Bloodstock the following rundown on his plans for his deep team of new season three-year-olds:-

ARDROSSAN: Price says he is going to keep this unbeaten former Kiwi colt by Redoute’s Choice to the shorter journeys in the hope he will make it to the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes he won last spring with Flying Artie.

“He is a colt who is on the improve physically all the time. He is going really well,” Price said.

“I would say he will be running in the Danehill Stakes at Flemington after the McNeil Stakes at Caulfield first up on September 2.

“Hopefully he is Coolmore Stud Stakes-bound but we will know more once he has returned.”

LONE EAGLE: Price says this Zoffany colt will also be aimed at the sprint races for his age group.

“He is a nice colt who will be aimed at the three-year-old sprint races. He had three starts last preparation including a good win last start at Caulfield.”

KING’S AUTHORITY: Snitzel colt who is on the way back from surgery for a chipped fetlock.

“He will run in the McNeil Stakes and those sort of three-year-old sprint races depending on how he comes up,” Price said.

“He had a little chip in a fetlock which required surgery which is why he had a long spell.”

OUYANG FENG: Price seems to have a high opinion of this Savabeel colt’s potential.

“He is going to be a Caulfield Guineas horse. He won well on debut at Pakenham in May before we turned him out,” he said.

GRUNT: Price has classic aspirations for this NZ-bred colt by the late sire O’Reilly.

“He had one really good run at Flemington when he ran third in May. I think he is a Derby type of horse being by O’Reilly,” Price said.

OCTABELLO: Price also has Guineas aspirations for this colt, not surprising as he is by Pierro.

“He had one start for one win at Bendigo. To me he is a Caulfield Guineas type of horse based on what he has shown us so far,” Price said.

ZHANG LIAO; Yet another Guineas prospect by the deceased Street Cry.

“He is another colt who won well on debut at Ballarat. Owned by Sun Stud and could be aimed at the Caulfield Guineas,” Price said.

HULME: This untested Power colt from a Montjeu mare gets a mention for some good reasons.

“He has been in pre-training and Peter Moody owns him - I am not sure what the great man has planned for him.” Price admitted.

SHE'S SO HIGH: Seems Price has some high aspirations for this promising filly by I Am Invincible.

“She produced a very good trial and then a debut win at Sandown in June. She has had a short break and I am not sure where we will be running her first up yet.” he said.

“She could have a short sprinting preparation, although she has a bit of length and scope about her.

“It will be interesting to see how far she progresses. The I Am Invincibles can get a mile easy enough so I wouldn’t rule that out.”