Mark Kavanagh remains optimistic that Super Cool may yet attain the Spring Racing Carnival glory that eluded him last year when the son of Fastnet Rock was tipped as a likely star following his win in the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) as a three-year-old. 

While he acquitted himself admirably in all six races he contested, he failed to win.

He logged Group 1 third placings behind glamour stablemate Atlantic Jewel in the Memsie Stakes and Caulfield Stakes, was a solid fifth in the Cox Plate and signed off for the campaign with a ninth in the Melbourne Cup.

But Kavanagh said the five-year-old had benefitted from being spared an autumn campaign earlier this year,  and the trainer considers him in better shape to make a spring impression this year.

“I would be of the opinion that he’s a much better horse going into this spring than he was last year,” the Flemington horseman said.

“It was our plan all along to give him the autumn off and get back and concentrate on this year’s spring.

“He hasn’t won since the Australian Cup when he was three, but those preparations took their toll and there’s no doubting his ability. He’s injury-free, so we’ll wait and see what happens.”

Super Cool had his first jumpout of the campaign on Friday morning when he took part in an 800-metre hit-out up the Flemington straight.

He spent the entire trial – vision of which is available by clicking here – in which speedy mare Minaj held off classy three-year-old Merion at the rear, but Kavanagh was satisfied.

“He hasn’t raced for nearly a year and is a little bit ring rusty,” he said.

“He’s pulled up very well, he felt fantastic and you will see him trial again next week and take up a much more forward and solid position in his trial.”

As he did last year, Kavanagh will produce Super Cool first-up in the $400,000 Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on 30 August.

Unlike last year, however, Super Cool will not be set for the feature staying handicaps with the spring’s two richest middle-distance weight-for-age events the preferred targets.

“He showed us that he doesn’t stay the 3200m,” Kavanagh said. “He showed us that he’s a 2000-metre horse and that’s what he’ll be specifically set for.

“When you’ll see him start to come right is about two weeks before the Cox Plate. He’ll run in the Cox Plate and then the Mackinnon.”

The $3 million Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) – in which Super Cool is a $26 chance with TAB – is at Moonee Valley on 25 October with the $1 million Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington seven days later. (Racing Victoria)