Flemington trainer Mark Kavanagh is confident that a rejuvenated Super Cool can make his mark on the upcoming Spring Racing Carnival.
Kavanagh made the bold decision to bypass the Autumn Racing Carnival with his four-year-old son of Fastnet Rock this year, forgoing the chance to defend his Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) title after noticing his star stayer seemed fed-up with racing life.
“He was in a situation where he was a bit jaded and needed a longer spell after the spring,”
“He’s 100% right now. He didn’t get injured or anything he was just jaded and had had a very long preparation; he’d had two springs and an autumn in-a-row.
“As a young horse they need to dump one occasionally. He’s a gelding so we’re looking towards the longevity of his career.”
Super Cool hasn’t been seen at the races since running a commendable ninth in last year’s Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m), but has been able to continue his development under Kavanagh’s watchful eye.
“He’s been out since the spring, but he’s actually in work at my stable right now and is ready to go back out and have a rest,” Kavanagh said.
“He’s done really well; he’s been back in work now for about 10 weeks. He’ll have a couple of weeks rest now and then be back and get ready for a serious campaign in the spring.”
Kavanagh has decided to bypass the Melbourne Cup this year with Super Cool, instead focusing on the $3million W.S Cox Plate (2040m) and the the $1million Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Derby Day.
“Those two will be his best goals,” he said.
“I’ll discuss the matter with his owners in the coming weeks before the noms shut, but that’s the way I’ll certainly be looking at this stage.
“He’ll go back through like a Memsie Stakes and go on from there.”
In related news, Kavanagh noted that promising two-year-old Chivalry, last seen when eighth in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m), would return to pre-training in the next week on a path towards the Spring Racing Carnival.
“Chivalry’s booked to start work and pre-training again on Monday,” he said.
“He will be headed along gently towards the Caulfield Guineas. It was my opinion that what we got out of him was probably a bonus.
“Being by Street Cry is a positive, as he looks like he can make the right progression on to his three-year-old season. He’s certainly shown us in his style of racing that he’ll be more effective over a longer journey.”
– Racing Victoria
