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Kentucky Breeze wins 2017 Emirates Airline Hcp Listed $150,000 at Flemington (VIC), 1400m.

The Levi Kavanagh-trained Kentucky Breeze advanced quickly after winning a 3YO Maiden (1100m) at Stawell on 23 October on debut to take out this Listed race at only his second start. He settled in sixth place, one off the rails, moved up well to challenge nearing the 200m and then lifted gamely under pressure to grab a narrow but good win.

The Shadwell-raced colt Muraaqeb was ridden quietly and settlednear the tail of the field and was last in the 11-horse field nearing the home turn. He went widest of all on passing the 400m and then came with a really strong finish, failing by only a long head in taking a very good second.

Sircconi travelled well outside the leader (Double Jeopardy) at a reasonable tempo. He got to the front at the 300m and then battled on gamely for a close up third, staging a good effort under his (60kg) top weight.

Of the others, the well-supported Darren Weir-trained Tamasa, a winner of his first two starts, raced in seventh place on the rails but failed to gain clear running at any stage in the straight and appeared to go to the post full of running in finishing an unlucky (2.1 lengths) sixth.