Shadhavar stretched her unbeaten run at 1400m to three with a strong win in Saturday's Group 1 C.F. Orr Stakes at a heavy Sandown, handing Tom Dabernig his first Group 1 under his own name.
The last Group 1 of the Victorian spring went to a regional stable. Shadhavar, trained at Warrnambool by Tom Dabernig and ridden by Kerrin McEvoy, won Saturday's C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) at Sandown, beating Pericles with Jimmysstar third.
A small field, all class
Scratchings cut the field to a handful of runners, and every one left in the race was already a Group 1 winner. Heavy rain turned the Hillside track heavy. That meant the race was going to be a real test of stamina at 1400m. Jimmysstar started favourite but was boxed in at a key stage. Pericles, ridden by Craig Williams, chased hard but could not reel the mare in.
Dabernig's big day
Dabernig has a long list of Group 1 wins from his years as part of the Lindsay Park training partnerships with the Hayes family. He moved to Warrnambool in 2021 to train in his own right, and this was his first Group 1 under his own name. It was also McEvoy's first Melbourne Group 1 win in several years, which made it a big day for both of them.
Shadhavar's spring
Shadhavar, by Pride Of Dubai, was a $85,000 yearling from the Magic Millions Adelaide sale. She came into the Orr in great form. She won the Group 3 Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day, and the Orr made it three stakes wins in a row. She is now unbeaten in three starts at 1400m. That trip clearly suits her, and she handled the wet ground well.
- 1st: Shadhavar (Kerrin McEvoy, trainer Tom Dabernig)
- 2nd: Pericles (Craig Williams)
- 3rd: Jimmysstar
The punting angle
Wet tracks change races, and this one was a reminder. The run of the race and the ground counted for more than raw class in a small field. Mares like Shadhavar that have kept improving through a long spring are worth respecting. No plans have been announced for her next start yet. Keep her in mind for 1400m races when the autumn comes around, especially if it rains.