Speed machine Fab Favola has been added to the nominations for the Group 1 $500,000 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Front runner Deep Feild, above, could be taken on by Fab Favola in the Black Caviar Lightning at Flemington. Photo by Steve Hart.
Restricted class speedster Fab Favola brought the Black Caviar Lightning entries up to eleven after the Victoria Racing Club extended nominations after only receiving ten names in the first wave on Monday morning.
Trainer Dean Binaisse knows that Fab Favola might not have the class of the equal world number one sprinter Lankan Rupee and the undefeated Deep Field but said the flying eight year old will keep them honest for most of the way down the Flemington straight.
“If he’s in it he’s going to stretch them for a long way, those quality horses I’m not sure outside of Deep Field what other horse has to go forward and lead,” Binaisse told Racing.com.
“It will be an exciting race if he does go around and I’m sure a lot of people will be interested if he does because it will change the whole dynamic of the race.”
Four time Group 1 winner Lankan Rupee is making his first 2015 Melbourne Autumn Carnival appearance since running third to Terravista and Chautauqua in the Group 1 $1m Darley Classic (1200m) at Flemington on the last day of the 2014 Melbourne Cup Carnival.
And the undefeated Deep Field has never been headed in his five wins and is stepping up to Group 1 company for the first time following is win in the Group 2 $300,000 tab.com.au Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on November 1.
Binaisse said that Fab Favola only knows one gear and he will be in top flight from the start and it will be interesting to see what the tactics of the other runners will be.
The Team Hawkes trained Deep Field has always set the pace in his five starts to date while trainer Mick Price has been trying to teach Lankan Rupee to settle in his work so as to ride him off the pace.
“Small fields in those big races, our tactic will be the same, he can only be ridden one way because of his breathing problems and his nature,” Binaisse said.
“He just likes to get out there and bowl along; you can’t change his tactics that’s just the way he is.
“Fab’s only got one gear, he’s got a dog clutch on him like on a boat, you just jam it into gear and off he goes.”
The furthest Fab Favola has won over has been 1110m but that was back in 2009 and his recent form suggests that the 955m at Moonee Valley is his limit these days and that includes a last start win over that course and distance in a BenchMark 78 Handicap on February 6.
While his record down the Flemington straight shows five placings over the 1000m since December 2013.
