News

Christmas Stakes winner shows undeniable grit at Caulfield

28th Dec 2012

Racenet - Brad Waters - Wednesday, 26 January 2012

Undeniably’s future looked bleak more than 18 months ago but the gelding has finally returned to his best form in Wednesday’s Listed Christmas Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.

Undeniably (pictured) was good enough to finish a narrow second to classy sprinter Whitefriars in the Group II Australia Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley in January 2011 but that performance was the six-year-old’s last placing before an almost fatal illness.

"He was pretty well finished two years ago when he got very sick,” stable foreman, Merv Harvey, deputising for Undeniably’s trainer Mark Kavanagh, said.

"It has taken us this long to get him back.”

The son of Fastnet Rock showed he was close to his best with a solid first-up second to his talented stablemate Catapulted in the Listed Doveton Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield on December 8 before improving on that effort in the Christmas Stakes.

Apprentice Jake Noonan retained the mount on Undeniably in the Christmas Stakes, earning Harvey’s praise with his handling of the powerful galloper.

Noonan ensured Undeniably had cover behind the speed early before producing his mount for his finishing burst at the 350 metres. Undeniably sprinted strongly once in clear running to beat Sea Lord and Youbolt by three-quarters of a length.

"It was a beautiful ride today by Jake,” Harvey said. "We looked at it before the race and thought we might end up three-wide with cover behind the leaders.

"It worked out perfectly and on the turn you wanted to be on him.

"He’s a big monster of a horse but he’s a very happy horse at the moment. Last time in, he used to charge in his races and they couldn’t hold him and today he settled well in behind the leaders and he hit the line good.”

Bred by Turangga Farm and sold to trainer Mark Kavanagh at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Undeniably ($360,000 2008 Easter, 6g Fastnet Rock-Suggestive) has earned $250,000 on the racetrack so far.