Mark Kavanagh is upbeat about the first-up prospects of classy galloper Whobegotyou against odds-on favourite More Joyous in Saturday's Futurity Stakes at Caulfield.
A dual Group One winner around Caulfield, Whobegotyou's only first-up win was in a two-year-old maiden on debut at Geelong but he has been runner-up five times when returning from a break of 10 weeks or more.
Three of those fresh efforts were at Caulfield including when he went down by a half-length to weight-for-age star So You Think in the Memsie Stakes (1400m) last spring.
However Kavanagh said the Street Cry five-year-old was slightly more forward in condition for this assignment.
"I'm excited about him. He's in as good a fettle as ever," the Flemington trainer said.
"He likes Caulfield and, although he's not a winner first-up there, he's usually around the mark.
"He's a little bit more forward this time maybe, so I'm quite happy with the way he's progressing.
"He's a get-back horse and it's a situation where there is probably plenty of pace on which is actually going to suit him."
While Kavanagh said Whobegotyou was quite forward, he added that the
Gai Waterhouse-trained More Joyous had a slight fitness advantage having had a run this preparation when winning the Breeders Classic (1200m) at Randwick on February 12.
That Group Two victory against the mares took the More Than Ready four-year-old to 11 wins from 15 starts.
"She's a lovely mare and she certainly knows how to win. She's a bit fitter than him so we'll see how we go," Kavanagh said.
"We're heading towards Sydney for the George Ryder and the Doncaster so this is a good starting point."
Kavanagh will also be represented by We're Gonna Rock who was runner-up by a long neck to More Joyous in the Toorak Hcp (1600m) at Caulfield last spring.
"He's been a bit of a disappointing horse although he has run some good races at Caulfield but some not so good races at Flemington on wet tracks last preparation," he said.
"He's at his best fresh and deserves his chance in a race like this."
Under Saturday's weight-for-age conditions, More Joyous meets We're Gonna Rock 6.5kg better off than in the Toorak and Kavanagh wants to see how he performs before deciding on plans for the Fastnet Rock four-year-old entire.
More Joyous is at $1.50 with TAB Sportsbet ahead of Whobegotyou at $7, King Mufhasa and Ortensia at $10, We're Gonna Rock at $12 and Doubtful Jack at $13.
The Steve McKee-trained King Mufhasa, a five-time Group One winner in New Zealand and a dual George Ryder Stakes placegetter at Rosehill, has firmed from $14.
