3 minute read
Trainer and jockey quotes after First Immortal takes out the Listed Quayclean Anniversary Vase at Caulfield on Saturday.
Race Result:
1st: First Immortal (M & L Kavanagh/B Shinn) - $4.80
2nd: The Summit (B,W & J Hayes/J McNeil) - $16
3rd: Nugget (C Maher/M Zahra) - $2.90F
Winning Time: 1:37.87 Last 600m: NA
Margins: Half-Neck x Short-Head
It's a stakes victory for First Immortal
— Racing.com (@Racing) March 16, 2024
The son of Churchill makes it eight wins from 16 starts @Levi_MKavRacing @blake_shinn pic.twitter.com/0yetpRtzPZ
Winning Trainer: Mark and Levi Kavanagh (Mark interviewed)
Was he confident today?: "No. He's never won over a mile, he's never won first-up, so we might be having a bit of fun.
On autumn plans: "We'll just take him along gently and see how we go from there.
"We'll just give him a light autumn into a couple of staying races and then just ease up and aim for the spring."
On his autumn target: "I'd like to get the one with the free kick (Andrew Ramsden Stakes) then we could get him on the right weight. That's the trick."
"Levi's pretty ambitious, I reckon there's only one Cup…"
On why he was emotional after the win: "He's just a good horse. It's just really nice."
Winning Jockey: Blake Shinn
On his development: "I think he's developed really nicely, I was looking at him on the TV when he was walking around and I just went, 'wow'.
"He paraded absolutely beautifully and he's just a bit more of a furnished product.
"Back last prep he was running great races in good spring races, but just probably mentally wasn't quite there.
"But they've done a great job and this prep he's come back a bit better in terms of application and probably physically is a little bit stronger.
"His last jumpout indicated to us that he's come back bang on track and he replicated that today with a wonderful win."
On the improvement between campaigns: "When I rode him first-up at Moonee Valley last time, he was quite relaxed from the gate and we rode him to hit the line.
"Today, he showed a different dimension. Even though he's gone forward in the past, when the pace was moderate I gave him a signal to go forward and it was just an instant response.
"That's a difference between winning and losing a race, having a horse that's able to do that for you.
"Once he got there he just dropped the bridle and was strong to the line. He got a little bit tired, which he was entitled to have been, being first up a mile, but full credit to Mark and Lei, they had him primed to win today.
"It's good to see him back and I think he's got a massive race in him."
