Kav thinks about the spring with Midnight Martini

FLEMINGTON trainer Mark Kavanagh was careful yesterday not to declare Midnight Martini a spring cups contender, but the filly showed all the traits of an emerging stayer by winning at her first run at 2000 metres at Flemington yesterday, reports tghe Sunday Age. It says: At just her seventh start, Midnight Martini worked hard to lead from her outside barrier before handing over the speed and then regaining it at the top of the straight. Midnight Martini then showed plenty of fight to hold off al

FLEMINGTON trainer Mark Kavanagh was careful yesterday not to declare Midnight Martini a spring cups contender, but the filly showed all the traits of an emerging stayer by winning at her first run at 2000 metres at Flemington yesterday, reports tghe Sunday Age.

It says: At just her seventh start, Midnight Martini worked hard to lead from her outside barrier before handing over the speed and then regaining it at the top of the straight. Midnight Martini then showed plenty of fight to hold off all challenges and give apprentice Ashley Thompson his first Flemington win.

Given the filly is by Street Cry - the sire of Kavanagh's retired Melbourne Cup winner Shocking - and is out of a Zabeel mare, Kavanagh knew the questions were coming about Midnight Martini's potential in the spring cups, but it took him a while to concede that she indeed could measure up to a Caulfield or Melbourne Cup.

''If she can improve next preparation as she did this preparation, then she could play a part in the spring,'' Kavanagh said. ''Any filly that can beat the boys and win three in a row is going all right so if we give her a rest now, she might reward us down the track...The last Street Cry to come through the grades as a late three-year-old like this ran ended up running an unlucky second in a Queensland Derby and then won a Melbourne Cup the next spring."

Fellow three-year-old Liveandletdie later made it a Street Cry double for Kavanagh when the three-year-old narrowly won his first stakes race, the Creswick Stakes over 1200 metres. Liveandletdie is owned by Laurence Eales, who has shared group 1 success with Kavanagh with Shocking and Whobegotyou. (www.theage.com.au)