News

Navmann for the Kav men

7th Dec 2009

Adelaide Now - Craig Cook - Sunday, 6 December 2009

SAM Kavanagh is leaving on the crest of a wave for a four-day holiday in Hong Kong this week with his father's Adelaide stable leading the trainers' premiership.

Navmann was Mark Kavanagh's latest SA winner at Morphettville and the Melbourne Cup-winning trainer will be in Adelaide next week to "substitute" for his son.

Navmann has won three in succession in town and owed yesterday's victory in the Schweppes Tonic Handicap (1250m) to a strong ride from leading apprentice Libby Hopwood.

"I'm a bit worried Dad will want to pinch him (Navmann) off me now," Sam Kavanagh said with a laugh.

Hopwood has had three rides for the Kavanagh camp for three wins in recent times.

"She's a really hard worker and deserves her success," Kavanagh added.

"When she had a bit of a dip in form she worked hard with Simon Price to get better and it's paid off."

Price, the regular rider for Kavanagh in Adelaide, has been sidelined with a rib injury, but should be back riding this week.

Hopwood will have mixed feelings about his return.

"I might have to wait until he (Price) gets injured again to get back on one of your horses," she told Kavanagh, tongue in cheek.

THE addition of blinkers turned Bit Of A Dude from a bit of a dud into a Blue Diamond candidate in a twinkling of an eye at Morphettville yesterday.

Bit Of A Dude, who was a little green at his first two starts, showed an exemplary attitude in taking out the Christmas Twilight December 11 plate (1000m).

The son of Snippetson (pictured) cost $27,000 at the 2009 Inglis Classic Yearling sale in Sydney and has already repaid the majority of that fee for connections, who include SAJC board member Tony Newman.

Trainer Stuart Gower will send the gelding for a short spell before starting a campaign for the rich two-year-old races in Melbourne early next year.

With Michael Hoppo in the saddle, Bit Of A Dude virtually led all the way and shot clear to defeat the fast-finishing Jalsah by 1 1/2 lengths for David Hayes.

Race favourite Blame Game was in a mood behind the barriers and kicked out catching attendant Craig Curtis.

Curtis, who holds a trainer's licence, was wearing a protection vest but still suffered a significant whack and was taken to hospital for a check-up.

Blame Game, for Leon Macdonald and Andrew Gluyas, never really settled in the run and faded late to finish sixth of the seven runners.