Breakthrough Cup for D’Avila stable
FROM the second Maquereau arrived on the Tablelands, prolific local trainer Sharlee D’Avila knew she had something special.
And she was spot on, as the gelding has now won three of his last four starts in FNQ, including Saturday’s $10,000 Innisfail Cup.
The six-year-old was just battling down south for Ben Ahrens but team D’Avila at Tolga has turned him around in the space of a few months.
Ridden by Townsvillebased apprentice Kate Southam, who has been on the gelding in his four NQ starts, Maquereau was too strong on the line to claim the Innisfail Cup Open Quality Handicap (2000m) by just over a length.
The D’Avila yard has had a torrid week after stablemate to Maquereau, Zealand, suddenly died following his firstup run on Tuesday at Cluden Park.
But, on her emerging stayer, Maquereau, D’Avila knew she had something special as soon as he landed in town.
“For some reason, as soon as he walked off that truck when Ben Ahrens gave him to me, I just knew I had a nice horse — there was just something about him,” D’Avila said on Saturday night.
“I raved on to my husband Wanderson about him and he was whingeing that I was talking about the horse too much (laughs).
“I kept telling him he would win Cup races.
“His first two wins were good; he got knocked down in the Gordonvale Cup the other day and I thought he would have won that, or gone close, if that had not happened.
“This time, I told Kate to ride him for luck and pull him out wide when she got to the turn. I was pretty confident with him.”
The D’Avila team has been one of the more consistent stables over the last few years in the north, but rarely in staying races.
The stable is a regular winner in sprint races and Sharlee said she was glad to be able to add a big country cup to her resume.
“I have never really had many stayers but I set this fella to go into it and we have finally found one,” she said.
“Kate clicks with the horse and has not put a foot wrong with him.”
The local stable won a Cooktown Cup a few years ago, as well.
D’Avila identified stable newcomer Maquereau as a potential Cup horse in the future after winning a Benchmark 55 Handicap at Townsville earlier this year and she was on the money.
Innisfail trainer Stephen Potiris’ two stayers rounded out the placings in the 2020 Innisfail Cup.
Earlier in the day, Tablelands hoop Wanderson D’Avila returned with a bang, riding a winner in his first assignment back following an injury lay-off.
He combined with wife Sharlee to get Sylvester the cash in the Benchmark 65 Handicap (900m).
“That will get his confidence back,” Sharlee said.