Spillway To Contest Makybe Diva Stakes

Co-trainer Tom Dabernig has revealed that P.B. Lawrence Stakes runner-up Spillway will have his next race start in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on September 13.

Spillway finished a close second behind Star Rolling in the P.B. Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.

Spillway finished a close second behind Star Rolling in the P.B. Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

Spillway started his 2014 Spring Racing Carnival campaign in the Group 2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 16 and he made up plenty of ground late to be narrowly denied his second race win in Australia by Star Rolling.

Dabernig told RSN this morning that the stable were very happy with the performance of Spillway and he confirmed that the Rail Link entire would be a month long break before making his Group 1 debut in the Makybe Diva Stakes.

“It was really good,” Dabernig said.

“Obviously you would love to win, but all the same we were very pleased with the way that he hit the line.

“He has pulled up really well and he will run in the Makybe Diva.

“It is nearly a month between runs so you have plenty of time, but it is a long spring keeping in mind, so we don’t want to have him peaking too early.

“He is back here at the farm and he goes out in the paddock during the day and does just his normal routine of exercise.

“He will head back to Flemington a week or ten days before the race just to wind him up.”

Spillway made his racing debut in 2012 under the care of Eve Johnson Houghton in the United Kingdom and he was purchased by David Hayes and brought to Australia at the end of 2013.

The four-year-old made his Australian racing debut with fair performances in the Listed Yalumba Golden Mile (1600m) at Bendigo on March 15 and the Group 3 Neville Sellwood Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill Gardens on April 5 before stamping himself as a 2014 Spring Racing Carnival contender with a win in the Group 3 Japan Racing Association Plate (2000m).

Dabernig believes that Spillway has now acclimatized to Australian racing conditions and he is hopeful that the talented entire will continue to perform at the highest level during his spring preparation.

“I think he is definitely more acclimatized,” Dabernig said.

“When he first arrived he had a bit of travel sickness and we had to leave him up in Sydney before he came down, so we let him recover from that.

“It was obviously his first preparation (in Australia) and keeping in mind that he hit quite a few wet tracks during that prep and we saw him on top of the ground on Saturday.

“I think he handles wet ground, but he is a different horse on top of the ground.”

Spillway is currently available at 2014 Caulfield Cup odds of $21 with Ladbrokes Australia and he is available at a quote of $34 to win the 2014 Cox Plate.

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.