TOP trainer Mark Kavanagh said the quality of horses at this season's spring carnival could be the best ever, reports The Age.It says: ''I think it's the strongest carnival we have ever seen. It's an absolutely vintage year and anybody that wins a race will be doing well,'' Kavanagh said. ''It's right across the board, the handicappers are coming on really well, there were group 1 winners balloted out of the Underwood and on Saturday the Gilgai looks just as strong as [last week's] Manikato Stak
TOP trainer Mark Kavanagh said the quality of horses at this season's spring carnival could be the best ever, reports The Age.
It says: ''I think it's the strongest carnival we have ever seen. It's an absolutely vintage year and anybody that wins a race will be doing well,'' Kavanagh said. ''It's right across the board, the handicappers are coming on really well, there were group 1 winners balloted out of the Underwood and on Saturday the Gilgai looks just as strong as [last week's] Manikato Stakes.''
Attracting 16 runners, the Turnbull Stakes field includes two Melbourne Cup winners, two Cox Plate winners, a Caulfield Cup victor and two Derby winners.
With his Cox Plate favourite Whobegotyou not racing this weekend, Kavanagh will be represented in the Turnbull by last year's Cox Plate winner Maldivian, who ran a much-improved race second-up and he is expecting an even better run from him on Saturday.
''We have had a few issues with him but I think we have him back to where he was last year,'' he said. ''He is really going along well. He is not far away and I think Saturday will bring him to his peak.''