Kavanagh Relaxed Ahead of Atlantic Jewel’s Second Spring Start

It may be impossible not to get nervous when you take a champion to the races but trainer Mark Kavanagh believes he will be more relaxed when Atlantic Jewel has the second run of her 2013 Spring Racing Carnival campaign in the Group 2 Stocks Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday.

Atlantic Jewel

Atlantic Jewel is a near certainty to increase her undefeated winning streak to nine wins when she contests the Stocks Stakes at Moonee Valley on Saturday. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

Kavanagh was a bundle of nerves before Atlantic Jewel returned from a sixteen month lay-off in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 31 and was overwhelmed by emotion when the glamour mare scored a most impressive victory.

The Melbourne Cup winning trainer has always been well known for his nervous habits and idiosyncrasies but he said that he will be fairly calm when Atlantic Jewel starts at ‘Black Caviar’ odds this weekend.

“I did (feel the pressure) last week, but there’s none of that this week,” Kavanagh told the media at his Flemington stable.

“I’ve got over that, we’ve got her back, we’re through injury and ready to go.”

Atlantic Jewel will be having only her second start at Moonee Valley and will get valuable experience navigating the tight-turning track before she contests her spring ‘grand final’ – the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) on October 26.

Kavanagh said that he was looking ahead to the Cox Plate when he made the decision to run Atlantic Jewel in the Stocks Stakes rather than the Group 2 Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) this Saturday.

“Being 70 weeks between her last run and two weeks ago, I’ve taken the softer option just looking to the future and making sure we have her right for later on in the Carnival,” he said.

“The situation is, you’ve got to look after the horse and make sure you don’t do too much with them too early, so I think it’s in the horse’s best interest to take the softer option.

“It’s gently, gently when you’re getting these horses back and the art is not putting too much pressure on too quickly.”

Atlantic Jewel is at almost unbackable odds to give Kavanagh his second victory in the Stocks Stakes after Devil Moon won the race in 2007.

About The Author

Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.