After a competitive showing on debut in a Listed race won by subsequent Group One winner Microphone, the Levi Kavanagh-trained two-year-old Excess Funds is set to make a late-season return in a midweek city race at Sandown.
Kavanagh threw Excess Funds in the deep end at his first start in February, running the colt in the Talindert Stakes (1100m) at Flemington in which he finished fourth, beaten just over 5-1/2-lengths by Godolphin’s Microphone who went on to finish second in the Golden Slipper and win the Group One Sires’ Produce Stakes.
“I had to have a crack at that race,” Kavanagh said.
“He had won down the straight in a jump-out against some of the other competitors in that race such as Alburq so I had to have a go at that race for his first start, although it was setting the sights quite high.
“He performed quite well and he’s had a good spell since then. He showed some signs of immaturity after the race and I wanted to tip him out and really let him mature.
“I thought he would be better as a three-year-old.”
Excess Funds’ second racing preparation begins in Wednesday’s Ladbrokes Odds Boost Handicap (1000m) for two-year-olds and the trainer believes the colt matured and strengthened in his break.
Kavanagh said it would not be an easy assignment first-up against eight rivals including Listed winner Mockery, but he believes Excess Funds has made the necessary improvement to run well.
“He will probably be much better for the experience of his first run too,” Kavanagh said.
“I would see him hopefully being able to run really well.
“I’m just going to try to see if he can be placed right early and try and get a bit of a rating for him, and then I’ll just see where we go.
“Ideally I’d like to head towards some good races in the spring, but it’s very early so we’ll have to see how he does over his next few runs.”
Kavanagh plans to keep Excess Funds, a son of Rubick out of city winning sprinter Save A Penny, to sprint distances this preparation.
The 1000m-race one of two events for two-year-olds on Wednesday’s program with the Yulong Handicap (1400m) the other.
