The last to first win by Chivalry in the Group 3 $150,000 H.D.F. McNeil Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield last Saturday has promoted him to favouritism for the Caulfield Guineas next month.
Chivalry storms home to win the H.D.F. McNeil Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
The Mark Kavanagh trained Chivalry showed all the signs of a future topliner with a barnstorming win and is now sitting clearly at the top of the Caulfield Guineas market order with Ladbrokes.com.au at $6 well ahead of Almalad, Divan and Hallowed Crown all at $13.
Kavanagh has a great chance of winning his second Group 1 $1m BECK Caulfield Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 11 after collecting the 2008 trophy with Whobegotyou.
The Flemington trainer is hoping that Chivalry is the head line horse to lift him back into the spotlight after the stable had been going through a quiet period in recent times.
“I’ll be waiting for it to really happen. I’ve been around a long time, I’ve seen a lot of horses be the next best thing, the next big deal and for one reason or another they haven’t,” Kavanagh told Racing Network.
“Let’s see how he goes before we get too carried away.”
Kavanagh admits that the Street Cry colt wasn’t fully wound for his 2014 Spring Carnival debut and fully expects him to strip a much fitter horse when he lines up in the Listed $120,000 Henry Bucks Best Dressed Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on September 13.
“He was fat, he was ring-rusty, but he still managed to break 11 (seconds) from the 400 to the 200 (metres),” Kavanagh said.
“I think it was a pretty creditable effort. With the amount of improvement in him, I’m quite happy that he’s on target.”
“With his style of racing he looks to be suitable for that sort of race and the long distances.
“I think that he is pretty good.”
Top Melbourne jockey Glen Boss was very impressed with Chivalry’s win, especially after the big colt wobbled around the tricky Caulfield home turn.
“He lost it on the bend, probably lost three or four lengths there. He went to shift his weight on to his other leg, but he actually didn’t do it,” Boss said.
“He went around the corner leaning. I had to coax him around the bend, I thought it was impossible for him to win.”
Boss is keen for Chivalry to be tested over longer distances and said the that the 1600m of the Caulfield Guineas would be ideal.
“I can only imagine what he’s going to do second and third up. He wants a mile, he just wants to switch off and relax,” Boss said.
“He will have a better turn of foot over a trip.”
