BRILLIANT WIN IN GROUP 1 YALUMBA BY KAVANAGH STABLE STAR
The Mark Kavanagh-trained Whobegotyou took a stranglehold on favoritism for the $3 million Cox Plate with a brilliant win in the Group 1 Yalumba Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.
Whobegotyou, $2.15 favorite, proved too strong for Heart of Dreams, $3.70, and provided champion jockey Damien Oliver with the 2000th winner of his illustrious career.
Oliver won a tactical battle with Craig Newitt on Heart of Dreams when he forced a passage near the 300m mark and Whobegotyou sprinted quickly to score an impressive win.Whobegotyou gave Kavanagh his second win in the Yalumba Stakes. “He opened up and did the job well,” Kavanagh said. “He didn’t have a gut buster today and there’s plenty left in the tank for the Cox Plate.
“He’ll be 100 percent for his next run. He’s got a good record at Moonee Valley and he is definitely the Cox Plate type of horse.”
Kavanagh admitted to a few anxious moments when Oliver was trying to force his way into the clear on the home turn but was full of praise for Oliver’s efforts.
Trainer Mick Price was far from disappointed by the defeat of Heart of Dreams. “On first impressions I am happy with the run,” Price said. “I’ll go home and have another look at the video and analyze it.”
Sydneysider Vision And Power, chasing wet tracks, produced his best effort of the spring by running home late to take third.
Jockey Vlad Duric was delighted with the effort of Master O’Reilly, which just missed third. “He’s going terrific. I’m looking forward to coming back next week for the Caulfield Cup,” Duric said.
Whobegotyou has firmed from $3.80 to $3 favoritism for the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley in a fortnight. Closest to him in early markets is stablemate Maldivian at $8 then Predatory Pricer at $10 and Heart of Dreams at $11.
Maldivian will run in next Saturday's Caulfield Cup, as he did last year, before winning Australasia's weight-for-age championship.
Apart from bringing up his 2,000th career victory with a double at Caulfield, it was Oliver's fourth Yalumba success and 86th Group One victory.
“It's quite emotional. It's great to win my 2,000th race on such a good horse in a big race,” Oliver said.
MICHELLE PAYNE LANDS FIRST G1 ON BART’S NEW CAULFIELD CUP HOPE
THE Bart Cummings-trained Allez Wonder earnt a Caulfield Cup start and provided jockey Michelle Payne with her first Group 1 success when she scored an upset win in the Toorak Handicap at Caulfield on Saturday.
Cummings, who also has Viewed engaged in the Caulfield Cup, scored his first Toorak win since Galilee saluted in 1966 but was far from surprised.
“She worked very well with So You Think on Tuesday,” he said. “The only way she was going to get into the Caulfield Cup was to win today and you’ve got to be in it to win it.
“She’ll have no issue with the 2400m of the Caulfield Cup. Some other horses of mine have done it in the past. She’s got a good heart and she’s a lovely mare.”
Payne produced an outstanding ride to land her Group One milestone. She pushed Allez Wonder, $41, through a narrow opening to score a long neck win from Gold Salute, $9, with Epsom winner, Rock Kingdom, $13, a half head away third.
“She was just going beautifully behind them. Once she got out, I knew I was going to win,” said Payne, who has a chance of retaining the mount in the Caulfield Cup.
Asked his opinion of Payne, Cummings replied: “She is a pretty little thing and she rides well.”
Gold Salute turned in another terrific effort, running home late to finish second while Rock Kingdom underlined his toughness with a fighting third after a tough run.
Raheeb, the well backed $5.50 favorite, led and only got tired the last 50m before finishing fourth while the other equal favorite, Raffaello, got too far out of his ground.
