Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
WA-bred four-year-old mare Cabsav, the youngest and least experienced runner in the www.gloucesterpark.com.au Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night, overcame the disadvantage of the outside barrier on the front line to win, coming from ninth at the bell.
A Group 1 winner of the Sales Classic for two-year-old fillies in February 2022, Cabsav was clearly the class runner in the field of ten. But punters were wary of the wide draw, and she was an unfancied candidate at $15.90.
Shannon Suvaljko did not bustle Cabsav in the early stages while the polemarker Yankee Lincoln, the $3.30 second fancy, was setting a moderate pace after a flying lead time of 35.2sec.
“I thought Cabsav could win but the race had to be run the way it was, with the pace on,” explained Suvaljko. “We just had to bide our time, and that wasn’t ideal because we got pushed out at the 450m.
“She has got about 250m in her, so I had to smoke the pipe a bit and sit out there until I went for her in the straight. And to her credit, she dug deep. We got pushed four wide and then five wide on the corner. But she still had a bit left.
“She has a good 200m in her but doesn’t need to be out in the open at the 400m.”
Cabsav is trained by Mike Reed, who said: “The early speed tonight helped her. She is no star but is a handy performer. At her previous start she finished second but pulled up sore and was stood down by the stewards. She had an abscess in her nearside front leg, so considering that her second was a good run.”
Cabsav, who has earned $167,310 from six wins and 12 placings, is by American Ideal and is the eighth foal out of New Zealand mare Lughnasadh. Cabsav’s main claim to fame is that her half-brother Beltane has earned $454,356 from 30 wins and 54 placings from 166 starts.
Beltane won at seven of his 27 starts in Victoria, and his 27 starts in WA produced six wins and eleven placings. He then went on to win another 17 races in America.