A look at Saturday’s Flemington card

Cavalry Girl impresses

Tom Dabernig continued his impressive run of Summer form with two-year-old filly Cavalry Girl, who won the VRC Punters Club Sprint (1000m) as a $3.80 favourite under Linda Meech, scoring by 1-1/2 lengths over Sword Of Legacy ($7.50) with 1-3/4 lengths back to Autumn Mystery ($41) in third.

While the Group 1 Blue Diamond (1200m) is an obvious target for the daughter of Bivouac, Dabernig noted that Cavalry Girl was an Inglis purchase, opening up a rich target in Sydney.

“She's an Inglis graduate, she is eligible for the two-million-dollar Inglis race (Millenium) in early Feb which is on the radar if she pulls up okay, and she is in the Blue Diamond as well so we've got a little bit to think about. Obviously it all depends on her and how she comes through the run,” Dabernig said.

“The first run I think we ran into a reasonably smart one in the winner of Ciaron Maher’s but she did everything pretty right and then today, sort of mid-race there was a little bit of shuffling of positions and it didn't put her off her game.”

“She was able to accelerate and win quite softly. I thought Linda rode her very confidently.”

Fresh the recipe for Wolfy

One time Caulfield Guineas runner Wolfy notched up his fourth career win on Saturday, taking out the VRC Summer Fun Sprint (1200m) for his first win since March last year.

The Nick Ryan trained galloper had been given six weeks off since running over 1500m at Caulfield Heath, and excelled over a sprint trip with the blinkers added, darting up the inside under Ethan Brown to score as a $10 chance by a neck over Gronkowski ($7) with 1-1/4 lengths to Street Elite ($14) in third.

Damian Kefford, representing the Ryan stable, said Wolfy has been a frustrating horse and today’s victory was well deserved.

“He's been a frustrating horse this one. We've always had a high opinion of him, he obviously ran in the Caulfield Guineas. He's come back and probably we've placed him in probably some wrong tracks,” Kefford said.

“Nick decided to freshen him up, blinkers on, up the straight. He's had a run here first up and he ran really well and now that looks like it's worked well again here today.”

Fresh off winning the Magic Millions Fillies & Mares (1300m) on the Gold Coast last night, Ethan Brown suggested the slow maturing Wolfy would only continue to improve.

“I honestly thought we'd run a nice second, but look to his credit, he knew where the line was. He had a crack today. He still floats around like he's a big baby still… he’s a horse with plenty of ability if you get him on the right day,” Brown said.

Major Share ticks 1200m box

As a winner of five from seven, Major Share had shown plenty of sprinting ability, but 1200m remained a query, that is, until the Adam Chambers trained gelding justified his $3.30 favouritism to take the benchmark 84 VRC Super Saturday, 8 March.

Ridden by Tom Madden, Major Share effectively led throughout to deny the fast-finishing Bossy Nic ($12) by a short half head, with Wiggum ($4) just ¾ lengths away in third.

A last start winner over 1125m at Terang, Major Share’s other four victories had come over 1000m or 955m, and Chambers, who had not won a race at Flemington previously, said the horse had continued to surprise him in a victory that had plenty of emotion attached.

“I just want to take a moment to remember my good mate Dean Holland. Last time I was here at this track was for his funeral and I followed his coffin down the straight; the next time I was going to be here was going to be winning a race, so I’m thinking of Dean,” Chambers said.

“If you had have said to me at the start of the prep that we'd be going down the straight, I would have had reservations just because of his race pattern, that he sits on speed.

Caulfield and Moonee Valley, they're probably his tracks and he was lost today. But we we're lucky enough to get away with it.”

Begg’s charm continues good form

Grahame Begg continued his run of strong Summer form as three-year-old filly Reluctantlycharmed beat a handy benchmark 74 field over 1100m at Flemington.

Jumping a $7.50 chance, the Makybe Racing owned filly sliced through the field under Craig Williams to notch up her third win from five starts this campaign, getting the better of Actuality ($12) by a long neck with Manolo Bling ($4.20 favourite) a further ¾ of a length back in third.

“She's put up a good performance this filly today, coming off running at 1200 (metres) a month ago. She was probably ridden a little bit too close to the lead last start and 1200 stretched her out, but she travelled well and Craig did his homework going into the race, I'm very, very happy,” Begg said.

The Group 3 Peter Le Grand (formerly the Kevin Hayes Stakes) over 1100m at Caulfield on February 8^th for three-year-old fillies could be the next start for Reluctantlycharmed.

“There's a little black-type race in about three weeks' time at Caulfield. Maybe we've got to consider that and have a little roll at that, so we'll work it out and see if she pulls up well,” Begg said.

Shaiyhar denies Deakin

Shaiyhar kept his perfect Flemington 2000m record intact with the $10 chance notching up his third victory over the course and distance, taking out a benchmark 100 to deny the shortest price favourite of the day, Deakin ($2) by 1-1/4 lengths, with ¾ of a length back to Night Endeavour ($41) in third.

The former import, a winner over 2900m in France, has been tested between 1600m and 2520m, but Natalie Young, who trains in partnership with Trent Busuttin, said they seemed to have found his groove.

“Obviously he just loves Flemington and we tried to step him up over that little bit of a trip, he's won over 2800 (metres) in Europe and he just doesn't quite get there with the tempo of the races here in Melbourne,” Young said.

“He loves the 2000 (metres), they go a little bit quicker early and he can just sit in behind nicely and Craig just rode him absolutely to perfection.”

Craig Williams notched up a race to race double and tracked Deakin everywhere he went, fortunate to get the upper hand late.

“Don’t let it (Deakin go). Grab hold of its tail and hope it doesn't accelerate, and I had the right horse, I was able to stalk it, and I had confidence when one came around me, just to stay behind it, stay behind it,” Williams said.

“I actually felt like I was picking up better than him and I know my horse has been able to stay quite well, and I think the favourite is a really nice horse and luckily for me, my horse was measured for that.”