MELBOURNE: Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Mark Kavanagh is looking to top off his highly successful spring carnival by winning today's Group Two Sandown Classic with Raffaello.
Kavanagh won the Lexus Stakes and Melbourne Cup with Shocking and five races in all to be the leading trainer over the four days atFlemington and won four races over the three days of the Caulfield carnival including the Group One Yalumba Stakes with Whobegotyou.
The Flemington trainer took on Raffaello after his owner-breeder Jim Marconi retired early this year and the Encosta De Lago five-year-old entire made it four wins from nine starts for him when he carried 58kg to victory over 2000m on his home track last Saturday.
Raffaello gave stablemate and runner-up Itstheone a 4.5kg weight advantage in that race and beat him by 1 lengths, giving an indication of his improvement.
Last December, Itstheone carried 2.5kg more than Raffaello when beating him by a short half-head when winning over 1600m at Flemington.
Kavanagh said Raffaello simply outclassed last week's field.
"He carried a bit of weight, his sectionals were super and he was just too good," he said.
Among Raffaello's better performances were his second to today's rival Miss Maren in the Group Three Easter Cup (2000m) last April and a fast-finishing third to Turffontein in the Group One Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) in September, both at Caulfield.
But he steps up to weight-for-age and 2400m for the first time today.
"His style of racing suggests he'll run 2400 metres," Kavanagh said.
"It looks a nice race for him and the easiest way to find out is to have a crack.
With Michael Rodd engaged for Zipping, who will be trying to become the first horse to win the race three times, Damien Oliver takes the reins on Raffaello for the first time.
Mackinnon Stakes winner Scenic Shot is A$3.40 favourite with TAB Sportsbet ahead of Master O'Reilly and Zipping at A$4.80, Purple (A$7) and Raffaello (A$8.50) with Mackinnon runner-up Miss Maren next best at A$11.
