Australian Cup winner Super Cool will be rested and will not appear at the up-coming Melbourne or Sydney Autumn Carnivals.
Super Cool, blue cap, beats Fiveandahalfstar, green cap, in the 2013 Australian Cup. Photo by Sarah Ebbett.
As a three year old Super Cool won last year’s Group 1 WFA $1m Darley Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington during the Melbourne Autumn Carnival but trainer Mark Kavanagh said that he had run out of time to prepare the gelding to defend his title.
Super Cool came off a taxing Melbourne Spring Carnival campaign and Kavanagh knew the four year old needed to have a good break to recuperate, ruling out an Autumn Carnival preparation.
“I think the autumn has come up a little too quick for him. We’ll probably just wait for the spring,” Kavanagh told Racing Network.
“He had a tough spring and needed a long break. I discussed the matter with the owners and said he couldn’t come off a short break this year.”
Kavanagh has also ruled out a winter campaign and will map out another Spring Carnival program for the Fastnet Rock gelding.
“And, given he doesn’t like wet tracks there was no point in coming back into work in April or May,” Kavanagh said.
“He’s a gelding and you can get longevity out of them if you look after them and that’s the way we have decided to go.”
Super Cool proved last year that he had the potential to be one of the top weight for age performers in the country when he beat Victoria Derby winner Fiveandahalfstar in both the Group 2 $220,000 BMW Caulfield Autumn Classic (1800m) for the three year olds at Caulfield and in the Australian Cup against the older horses.
Kavanagh gave Super Cool six starts during the Spring, five at Group 1 level, and knew that he needed a lengthy spell after finishing ninth to Gai Waterhouse trained Fiorente in the Group 1 $6m Emirates Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 5.
Even though Super Cool was unable to enter the winner’s circle last preparation, he was placed twice at Caulfield to glamour stable mate Atlantic Jewel, third in the Group 1 $350,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) and third in the five horse Group 1 $400,000 Cathay Pacific Caulfield Stakes (2000m).
Super Cool then ran a creditable fifth to Shamus Award in the Group 1 $3m Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley as his final lead up to the Melbourne Cup.
Super Cool is currently marked as a $61 chance for the 2014 Melbourne Cup.
