Gifted middle distance performer Kadavar successfully announced his arrival in Victoria with victory at Caulfield.
The Gerry Harvey-bred son of resident Westbury Stud stallion Tarzino had previously won from champion trainer Chris Waller’s Queensland and New South Wales operations before relocating to his Flemington stable.
On Saturday, Kadavar was given plenty of time to find his feet and settled well back in the running before he was ridden along to improve near the fence across the top.
To the four-year-old’s credit, he responded to finish determinedly and post his fifth career success from just 12 appearances.
“He loved it and enjoyed the rain, he’s three from three over 2400 metres now so he’s a natural staying type,” winning rider Blake Shinn said.
“It was a good effort. It was a solid test and the instructions were to be closer in running, but the speed into that first turn was really quick, so I just allowed him to balance up.
“We played for luck. I didn’t have the horse to be coming wide from the 700 metres, so we chanced our arm and the runs appeared in the straight and he was good enough to win.”
Kadavar has emphasised his versatility and has now won on all types of footing.
“He had his head down when it mattered and it was similar ground to when he won at Rosehill,” stable representative Dermot O’Brien said.
“He’s out of a Danehill Dancer mare and when you see that they’re guaranteed to like the soft going.”
Kadavar is raced by Neville Morgan and Davd Devine and was purchased out of Westbury’s draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sales for $300,000 with Waller and Mulcaster Bloodstock signing the ticket.
He is a son of Arapaho Miss who was a class act on the track, winning the G1 VRC Oaks and has been outstanding at stud with her daughter Miami Bound also winning the Flemington fillies’ Classic.
She is also the dam of the Listed Andrew Ramsden Stakes winner Da Little Engine.
Arapaho Miss has an unraced two-year-old colt by Reliable Man and had a filly by Tarzino last year before a return visit.