Winner: Catapulted (Catbird-Siren Miss)
Race: VRC Straight Six LR (1200m)
Sold for: $90,000
Sale: 2007 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale
Vendor: Mill Park (As Agent)
Buyer: Mark Kavanagh
Earnings: $351,725
Owner(s): I Kavanagh, A Taylor, G Small, J Purdey, D Moriarty, WTR Syndicate (Mgr: P Gunner), W Glynn, J Gitsham & J Dollman
Trainer: Mark Kavanagh (Morphettville)
Mark Kavanagh’s long list of feature race wins with graduates from the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale rolled on at Flemington today when Catapulted romped home in the $126,000 listed Straight Six (1200m).
Narrowly beaten at his most recent outing in group one company, Catapulted sat second for much of the race before being clicked up Michael Rodd just inside the 400 metre mark.
From that point the result was never in doubt as the son of Catbird raced to the lead and cruised home under no pressure to win by over three lengths.
Catapulted’s next run will almost certainly be in Brisbane – but Kavanagh isn’t just sure what races to target with the lightly raced but highly talented sprinter.
“He’s a good honest horse,” Kavanagh said. “And he keeps getting better.”
“It’s hard to place him from here so we’ll probably look at going to a race in Queensland.”
“It’s hard to say where we’ll be going – but he’s flying and he’s very consistent.”
Kavanagh was in no rush to choose an immediate goal for Catapulted but did say the Stradbroke Handicap with 51 kilograms is “tempting.”
“He’s had one run over the 1400 and he didn’t stick it out so good. So I’m a bit each way at the moment.”
“He’s much more seasoned now (than when he last run over 1400 metres).”
“The Adelaide stable got him going. He got over here on Thursday night – so they’ve done well with him.”
Until today Kavanagh’s stable rider Michael Rodd had only ridden Catapulted in some trackwork when he was an unraced two-year-old.
“I had a little bit to do with him early when he was over here,” Rodd commented. “He was actually a bit of a handful when he was here.”
“He then went over to Adelaide and you have to take your hat off to Sam Kavanagh. He’s done a fantastic job with him.”
“He’s come through his grades well and Simon Price has worked with him very hard.”
“He’s still learning. He was impressive today. I like the way he gets out of the gates and switches off.”
“He’ll acquit himself well no matter where he goes,” Rodd summed up.
A $90,000 purchase for Kavanagh from the 2007 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale, Catapulted has already earned over $350,000 from just 13 starts – eight of which have resulted in wins.
A son of Catbird, Catapulted was bred by the Watson family’s Mill Park along with good friends and clients Bob and Helen Dinham.
He was sold at the famous Morphettville sales ring by Mill Park where he caught the eye of the Kavanagh family.
It’s the same recipe that has seen the stable train the likes of Undoubtedly, Divine Madonna and Devil Moon.
Catapulted is one of two winners produced by the winning Umatilla mare Siren Miss.
A well related mare, Siren Miss is a full sister to Umatune (the stakes winning dam of Jestatune and stakes placed duo Saxon Palace and Ihtsatune) and Melbourne stakes placegetter Goswaki.
