HAWKESBURY or Goulburn!
A decision Sam Kavanagh has to make with Kayobi prior to Hawkesbury’s 7.30am scratching deadline on Thursday.
And the Newcastle trainer’s resolution also will have an important bearing on whether the gelding races in blinkers or not.
Kavanagh accepted with Kayobi for the $200,000 Listed Rowley Mile at Hawkesbury on Thursday, and also has nominated him for the Goulburn Cup (1400m) on Sunday.
Both races have $200,000 purses, but the Goulburn feature carries eligibility for the $3m The Big Dance (1600m) to be run at Royal Randwick on November 5.
Kavanagh has not declared a jockey for Kayobi at Hawkesbury, and explained his reason for not doing so.
“The initial plan was to go to Goulburn for the Cup,” he said on Wednesday morning.
“However, there are only 12 acceptors for the Rowley Mile.
“The early Hawkesbury favorite Wiliamsburg is amongst the 23 Goulburn entries.
“I’ll wait until as late as possible and see if there are any withdrawals from the Rowley Mile on Thursday morning.
“If there are we won’t have any trouble getting a good jockey if we decide to run at Hawkesbury.”
Kayobi, who finished a close fifth under 60kg (after apprentice Zac Wadick’s 3kg claim) to subsequent narrow Brisbane second Secret Plan in a Benchmark 78 Handicap (1400m) at Rosehill Gardens on August 3, will race minus blinkers if he goes to Hawkesbury.
“Being a son of Maurice, I have always believed Kayobi would run 1600m, and the blinkers will come off to give him every chance if we decide to contest the Rowley Mile,” Kavanagh said.
“They will stay on if we wait for Goulburn with that race being 1400m.”
Now six-year-old Kayobi won his first four starts for Kavanagh – including a Gosford 1200m Provincial-Midway Championships Qualifier in March last year - after being purchased from Scone trainer Paul Messara.
He started favorite and ran fourth to accomplished wet tracker Spangler in the $1m Final (1400m) at Royal Randwick on heavy ground.
. Group 1 winner Kalapour will begin a spring campaign at Randwick on Saturday in the Group 3 Premier’s Cup (1800m).
Dylan Gibbons will return from a[JC1] brief suspension to continue his association with Kalapour, on whom he clinched his second career major, in the Tancred Stakes (2400m) at Rosehill on March 30.
The gelding was rested after an excellent third to Circle Of Fire in the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick on April 13.
Kalapour’s trainer Kris Lees nominated four horses for the Premier’s Cup, and has also decided to start Cleveland (James McDonald) in the field of nine.
*Story John Curtis, August 21, 2024 - Pics Bradley Photos
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