Breeding & Racing Magazine

Kavanagh "Keeps Options Open" For Atlantic Jewel

Trainer Mark Kavanagh confirmed he is "not locked into raising the bar to the Gr1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on April 28" for the next appearance by boom unbeaten 3YO filly Atlantic Jewel (Fastnet Rock-Regard, by Zabeel) following her easy victory against a field of older opponents in Saturday's Gr2 Sapphire Stakes (1200m) at Randwick. Kavanagh told The Herald-Sun that Atlantic Jewel would be entered for both the All Aged & the Gr1 Emancipation Stakes (1600m) for fillies & mares on the same program & emphasised "the lure of another Gr1 triumph this campaign was not the over-riding factor in selecting the 2nd & final race in Atlantic Jewel's autumn cameo". He noted: "I want to turn her out on the top of her game & then bring her back for the spring. It's all about the horse's welfare. Horses like this don't come along very often. They are once-in-a-lifetime horses." Kavanagh said Atlantic Jewel had come through the Sapphire Stakes run "without issue" & he would "wait until next week before finalising her next race". Kavanagh also revealed filly's track-work "had been incredible. Scary, just scary! A million times you see horses not come back from injury; but she's come back bigger and better. It was pretty freakish." Kavanagh also said there had been "no suggestion" from Coolmore (which owns the filly with Australian Turf Club board member Laurie Macri) that Atlantic Jewel would race overseas, noting the prize-money in Australia was "as good as anywhere" & there was "little upside in taking a filly out of the country". Atlantic Jewel (a $320,000 yearling consigned by Vinery Stud at the 2010 Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale) currently boasts 6 wins (also including 2011's Gr1 Thousand Guineas over 1600m at Caulfield & Gr2 Wakeful Stakes over 2000m at Flemington) from 6 starts for $682,925 earnings.