Here De Angels relished the absence of boom filly Black Caviar to post a track record win over 1100-metres at Caulfield on Saturday.
The veteran speedster bounced back from his thumping in the Australia Stakes at Moonee Valley a fortnight ago, to claim his second Group 3 Rokk Ebony Rubiton Stales in three years.
His time of 1:01.73 in the $125,000 feature shaved 0.13sec off the track record set by Intelligent Star when winning the same race eight years ago.
Jockey
Michael Rodd had
Here De Angels ($7) positioned just off the pace, before pulling him to the outside upon straightening and wearing down a gallant
Lucky Secret ($3.30) to score narrowly.
Third across the line was the fast finishing
Rostova ($21), while highly fancied three-year-old fillies
Avenue ($4) and
Irish Lights ($5) finished fifth and sixth respectively at their racetrack returns.
Trainer
Mark Kavanagh was naturally delighted with the performance of Here De Angels who has overcome numerous problems throughout his career.
“He is a marvel. He came to us with some real barrier problems and we had some real dramas with him, but he’s turned it around,” the Melbourne Cup winning trainer said.
“He’s tested me a bit. A few times I didn’t know where we were going with him, but we put that little hat on him, the ear muffs, and he likes that.
“He’s a little bit eccentric so he and I get on alright.”
Despite the challenges he’s presented the stable, Kavanagh said the key to the horse’s impressive form is simple.
“All we had to do was make him happy and he’s pretty happy right now,” he said.
The win took the six-year-old’s career record to 11 wins and five minor placings from 28 starts for a tick over $675,000 in stakes.
Kavanagh said the Group 1 $400,000 Sportingbet Oakleigh Plate, at the same track and distance in a fortnight, would be the horse’s next target.