Maldivian Will Spring Back, Says Trainer

The Age

Monday September 22, 2008

Andrew Eddy

TRAINER Mark Kavanagh has not given up on his huge galloper Maldivian and believes the headline horse from last spring could still recapture his best form in time for the spring feature events.

Kavanagh adopted bold tactics for the front-running Maldivian in Saturday's Underwood Stakes, but the plan to test out Weekend Hussler backfired as Maldivian tired badly over the final 200 metres to finish out of the placings.

"He was still a gross horse at Caulfield on Saturday and he's not yet at his top," Kavanagh said. "People forget that exactly 12months ago he ran a very similar race in the Naturalism Stakes. He kicked clear and was run down in the last few bounds by Douro Valley.

"It was a very similar effort on Saturday so I'm certainly not ready to say it's (spring) over."

Last year, Maldivian followed his Naturalism Stakes placing with an awesome win in the JRA Cup at Moonee Valley followed by a trouncing of his rivals in the group 1 Yalumba Stakes. Just seven days later he was scratched as the hot favourite in the Caulfield Cup after injuring himself in the barriers.

Kavanagh said he thought both Maldivian and last year's Turnbull Stakes winner, Devil Moon, were racing in similar form to last year but that the competition was much tougher this spring.

"It's a real vintage year, not like last year when these two horses were coming through the ranks," he said. "Devil Moon's last run was super but she got run down by Tuesday Joy and she's a real class mare who was not around last year."

The trainer said that he tried to beat Weekend Hussler on Saturday by asking Maldivian to pick up the pace with 800metres of the race to go. "We had a real crack at trying to beat Weekend Hussler. We wanted to test him right out and we did but it just told on us at the end. We rode the horse to make it hard for the favourite and he's still not at his top just yet."

Maldivian has not won a race since last year's Yalumba Stakes, but Kavanagh said he would not change his spring program. He will run against Weekend Hussler in the 2000-metre Turnbull Stakes in two weeks before again clashing with the champion two weeks later in the Caulfield Cup.

Devil Moon will run in Friday night's JRA Cup over the Cox Plate distance of 2040 metres as she prepares for a crack at both the Caulfield and Melbourne cups.

"She's in great order and I'd expect her to run well," he said.

Lloyd Williams' stayer C'est La Guerre also runs in the JRA Cup, which is developing into one of the better lead-up races of the spring.

Meanwhile, the Cox Plate is certainly off the agenda for the horse who was favourite just a few weeks ago - Light Fantastic.

The four-year-old's trainer Mick Price said the grey galloper, who dropped out noticeably when 12th in the Underwood Stakes, had pulled up well yesterday, but will drop back in distance for his next start this spring.

"We had him scoped and there are no problems at all with him," Price said. "The horse just might be a sprinter/miler and not the staying type we thought he was. He'll come back in distance and we'll see how he goes."

It was not all gloom and doom for Price, however, as Underwood Stakes runner-up Pompeii Ruler got through the race in great order and will follow the same path as Weekend Hussler into the Turnbull Stakes, Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate.

THE MA CAULFIELD CUP

Run October 18

$2.60 Weekend Hussler

$9 Littorio, Pompeii Ruler

$10 Maldivian (right)

$15 Zarita

$16 Guillotine

$17 Tuesday Joy, Nom Du Jeu, Zagreb

$21 C'est La Guerre, Zipping, Master O'Reilly

$26 Sirmione, Viewed, Boundless, Red Lord

$34 others

THE MARKETS

COX PLATE

Run Moonee Valley, October 25

$2.30 Weekend Hussler

$8 Pompeii Ruler

$10 Samantha Miss

$11 Princess Coup

$13 Maldivian

$17 Tuesday Joy, Triple Honour

$26 Sirmione, C'est La Guerre, Nom Du Jeu, Littorio

$34 others

MELBOURNE CUP

Run Flemington, November 4

$5.50 Septimus

$6.50 Efficient

$9 Littorio

$12 Weekend Hussler, Tuesday Joy

$17 Nom Du Jeu, Zagreb

$21 Viewed, Guillotine, Mad Rush, Maybe Better

$26 C'est La Guerre, Master O'Reilly, Honolulu, Fiumicino, Red Lord, Scenic Bullet

$34 others

MARKETS COURTESY OF SPORTSBET

© 2008 The Age

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