Inglis Millennium plan for Cavalry Girl
Warrnambool-based trainer Tom Dabernig has his sights set on a potential crack at next month’s Inglis Millennium (RL, 1100m) with Cavalry Girl (Bivouac) after the promising filly broke her maiden at the second time of asking in a 1000-metre event at Flemington on Saturday.
The daughter of Darley’s first-season sire Bivouac (Exceed And Excel) had previously displayed she had a bright future when second in the Geelong Diamond (1100m) on debut earlier this month, finishing two lengths behind winner Cherish Me (Brazen Beau) under Linda Meech.
Meech was back in the saddle on Saturday and the pair jumped from barrier seven in the nine-runner contest as the $3.80 favourites.
Cruising up to the leaders with 200 metres left to race, Cavalry Girl quickened to lead approaching the final 100 metres and was merely kept up to her work to beat Sword Of Legacy (Too Darn Hot) by 1.5 lengths. There was a further 1.8 lengths back to Autumn Mystery (The Autumn Sun) in third place.
“She’s always been a very professional filly,” Dabernig said. “She was well found by Joe O’Neill, he’s a great judge and his record speaks for itself.
“The first run I think we ran into a reasonably smart one in the winner of Ciaron Maher’s [Cherish Me] but she did everything pretty right and then today, sort of mid-race there was a little bit of shuffling of positions and it didn’t put her off her game.
“She was able to accelerate and win quite softly. I thought Linda rode her very confidently.”
Cavalry Girl was purchased by O’Neill’s Prime Thoroughbreds for $110,000 from the Vinery Stud draft at the 2024 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, and while the Blue Diamond (Gr 1, 1200m) is an obvious target for the filly, Dabernig is also considering targeting the $2 million Inglis Millennium on February 8.
She is in the Blue Diamond as well so we’ve got a little bit to think about
“She’s an Inglis graduate, so she is eligible for the two-million-dollar Inglis race [Millenium] in early Feb which is on the radar if she pulls up okay, and she is in the Blue Diamond as well so we’ve got a little bit to think about. It all depends on her and how she comes through the run,” the winning trainer said.
“She’s got very good speed. That’s probably yet a little bit unknown, but at this stage she’s got very good recovery, good lungs and she did that quite comfortably.”
Bred by Patrick Hodgens and Bill Piper, Cavalry Girl is the first foal out of the winning I Am Invincible mare Islands, herself a half-sister to Group 2 winner and Magic Millions 2YO Classic scorer Military Rose (General Nediym).
The second foal out of Islands, a filly by The Autumn Sun (Redoute’s Choice), was sold by Vinery Stud for $350,000 to MyRacehorse, Bjorn Baker, Clarke Bloodstock Pty Ltd (FBAA), and Belmont Bloodstock Agency at last week’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. The mare had a filly by Russian Revolution (Snitzel) last year and is now in foal to Golden Slipper winner Shinzo (Snitzel).
Cavalry Girl became the third winner for Bivouac, who has 15 entries for the upcoming Inglis Classic Yearling Sale this year.