Cup Day Chances

Kavanagh Racing will saddle up two horses tomorrow at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day; Santorini Summer in Race 5 and Wild Vixen in Race 10. Both horses are last start winners and looking as good as ever, they have progressed very well leading up to their Flemington debuts.

Santorini Summer, trained by Mark Kavanagh, is returning to the track after a short break. Jockey Craig Williams has ridden him in both his recent jump-outs where his efforts have been excellent. He will be jumping from barrier 10 when he takes on a full field down the Flemington straight in the Schweppervescence Plate over 1000m.

The form around Santorini Summer is very impressive, Garner who ran second to him in the $100K Adelaide Galvanising Two-Year-Old Plate in July has won twice in the city since.

Wild Vixen, trained by Levi Kavanagh, has won her last two starts. There has been strong form around her early races this preparation before she was able to win well over 1400m. Her next start over 1600m saw her win back to back, again with Dean Yendall on board. Yendall will be back in the saddle on Tuesday when she takes on a stronger field in the Listed Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes over 1400m. Jumping from barrier 4 and a drop back in distance should suit her perfectly.

The two horses have more in common than being last start winners and running on Cup Day, both of their mothers were also trained by Kavanagh Racing.

Santorini Summer is out of the talented mare Fast And Loose. She is a haft-sister to Mark’s seven-time stakes winner and South Australian bred Racehorse of the Year, Catapulted. Fast And Loose ran a gallant fourth in the Listed Queen Adelaide Stakes as a juvenile at only her second start.

Wild Vixen’s dam, Amy’s Glen, was a multiple city winner over 1100m who never reached her full potential due to injury. Levi also trains another daughter of Amy’s Glen, Queen’s Authority.

On Thursday Mark looks forward to saddling up his Oaks chance Vegas Jewel who raced super on Saturday finishing second behind Miami Bound in the Group 2 G.H. Mumm Wakeful Stakes.