Glamour mare Atlantic Jewel may be contesting the Stocks Stakes (1600m) rather than the Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday but trainer Mark Kavanagh still has a leading chance in the race, with Australian Cup winner Super Cool among eleven horses included in the final acceptances for the Group 2 event.
Super Cool will defend his unbeaten record at Moonee Valley in the Dato' Tan Chin Nam Stakes on Saturday. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Super Cool started his 2013 Spring Racing Carnival campaign with a strong performance in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m), running on well in the final stages of the race to finish third behind Atlantic Jewel and Ferlax.
Kavanagh said that Super Cool has improved significantly coming out of his first-up run but believes that the Fastnet Rock entire is still a few runs away from reaching his peak fitness.
“He has tightened up nice,” Kavanagh told Thoroughmedia.
“He is still a few runs off being right but he has made very good improvement after his run.
“The longer we get the better it gets for him but a mile is what he needs right now.
“I think his turn of foot in the Memsie was good and this a similar sort of race so he will get back and finish it off alright.”
The Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes is set to be a competitive race with Fiorente, Happy Trails, Seville and Ajeeb all backing up from the Memsie Stakes while classy Kiwi stayer Sangster will return to Australia for the first time since the 2013 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.
Fiorente ran on well first-up in the Memsie Stakes and was unlucky not to finish in the placings after being blocked for a run with 200 meters left in the race.
Like Super Cool, the Gai Waterhouse-trained import is on the path to the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) and should be more suited over a mile.
Emirates Stakes winner Happy Trails is aiming to join Whobegotyou, Lad Of The Manor, Lawman and Shorengro as the only horses to win the Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes on multiple occasions but thus far has failed to fire this preparation, finishing fifth in the Group 3 Spring Stakes (1400m) at Morphettville and seventh in the Memsie Stakes.
David Hayes-trained Spacecraft, impressive last-start winner Lidari, successful country galloper Hornet’s Nest, promising gelding Bass Straight and the undefeated Desert Wizard round out the 2013 Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes final field.
