Tom Dabernig and the connections of Cavalry Girl will try to continue the successful campaign of Cavalry Girl when she heads to Caulfield Heath.
Cavalry Girl captured an important victory in Adelaide last start and is down to run in the Sweeney Estate Agents Handicap (1000m) on Saturday.
The now four-year-old took out the Listed Lightning Stakes (1050m) at Morphettville on July 25 to add all important Black Type to her pedigree page.
“She’s raced very consistently and then won over in Adelaide last time which was quite a comfortable win and important for her in getting the Black Type which is a big thing for her breeding future,” Dabernig said.
“And Bivouac (her sire) is actually doing quite well also.”
That Adelaide victory was against two and three-year-old company and now as a four-year-old mare she is pitted against tougher opposition.
It is not lost on Dabernig the tougher test of Saturday’s Benchmark 100 contest, but the trainer says there are positives.
“If you look at the benchmark of all the other horses, it not a true 100 sprint,” Dabernig said.
“She’s also good at Caulfield, she’s got the minimum weight, she’s got a good gate and it’s a small field, so she should run well.
“We trialled against (fellow Warrnambool-trained) Stokke with Shadhavar recently and it looks to be going well, but I would say with our race fitness, we’re pretty confident to be taking it on.”
Dabernig said Saturday’s 1000m journey was possibly Cavalry Girl’s preferred trip, although she has won at 1050m and performed at 1100m.
“Craig Williams has mentioned that we could try 1200 (metres), but we know the 1000 is a good formula for her,” Dabernig said.
“I looked ahead in the program, and it was a little bit awkward to try and find the right race and I thought this did look the right race.
“She is jumping out of her skin, but ideally, I would have preferred it to be three weeks, that would have been perfect.”
Dabernig said he would wait and see how Cavalry Girl performs on Saturday.
He said the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m), this year at Sandown on September 5, is worth thinking about.
“She’s never been to Sandown, and that track is racing pretty tired, and we know she loves Caulfield and, or the Flemington straight,” Dabernig said.
“If she won on Saturday, the Moir could be a consideration, while the other thing is because she’s raced through winter we could freshen her up and come back later in the spring for a race maybe during Melbourne Cup week.”
