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With a well-timed finish in Saturday’s A$130,000 Vale Elvstroem (2400m) at Caulfield, talented stayer Kadavar improved his 2400m record to a perfect three-from-three.
The Tarzino gelding won a Benchmark 78 in his first attempt at that distance on the Kensington track in June, then delivered a repeat result in the same grade in his most recent appearance at Rosehill on November 9.
That prompted trainer Chris Waller to send the four-year-old south to make his Melbourne debut on Saturday, and it paid off in spades.
Kadavar was ridden patiently by Blake Shinn, who settled well back in the field before beginning to move his mount through his gears coming up to the home turn. Kadavar produced a sustained run from well off the pace, surging through the pack to hit to the front in the final 50m and beat fellow back-marker Divus Romulus by a head.
"He's three-from-three at 2400m now, so he's a natural staying type," Shinn said. "It was a good effort. It was a solid test. The instructions were to be closer in running, but the speed into that first turn was really quick, so we just allowed him to balance up.
"We played for luck. I didn't have the horse to be coming wide from the 700m, so we chanced our arm and fortunately the runs appeared in the straight and he was good enough to win on the line.
"He's a natural dour stayer. He doesn't possess a sharp turn of foot. He probably will run further than 2400m, and when they go quick and it's rain-affected, it plays into his hands. When he wins over 2400m, he only gets there right on the wire.
"He's four years old and hopefully he can just keep progressing. He's in good hands."
Kadavar has had 12 starts for five wins and two placings, earning A$241,525 for owners Neville Morgan and David Devine.
Kadavar was bred by Gerry Harvey and was offered in Westbury Stud's draft at Karaka 2022, where Mulcaster Bloodstock and Chris Waller Racing bought him for $300,000.
He is one of seven winners from nine foals to race out of the Danehill Dancer mare Arapaho Miss, who herself won the Gr.1 VRC Oaks (2500m). Her daughter Miami Bound followed suit with her own victory in the Flemington fillies' classic in 2019, while De Little Engine won eight races up to Listed level.