Talented colt Fravashi finally lived up to the huge wraps on him when he wore down Nicconi to take out the Group Two D'Urban Stakes at Caulfield.The son of Falbrav has been rated as one of the best three-year-olds in the country but has had a couple of unlucky runs at Caulfield this preparation when runner-up to Time Thief in the Zeditave Stakes (1200m) and fourth to Nicconi in the Wellington Racing Club Stakes (1400m)."The horse has been beating himself and doing things wrong, but today with th
Talented colt Fravashi finally lived up to the huge wraps on him when he wore down Nicconi to take out the Group Two D'Urban Stakes at Caulfield.
The son of Falbrav has been rated as one of the best three-year-olds in the country but has had a couple of unlucky runs at Caulfield this preparation when runner-up to Time Thief in the Zeditave Stakes (1200m) and fourth to Nicconi in the Wellington Racing Club Stakes (1400m).
"The horse has been beating himself and doing things wrong, but today with the blinkers on, riding him more positively and cutting the error rate down helped and it was good to see him win," trainer Peter Snowden said.
Snowden said he had been reluctant to put blinkers on the colt in Saturday's 1400m event because he was a very good track worker and he was mindful that he may over race with them on.
"We left them on him every day this week to get him to relax in them and he was relaxed today.
"He is a tractable horse and he did everything right. He's about as good as we can get him," he said.
Kerrin McEvoy had Fravashi ($3.60 fav) settled in sixth spot one off the fence with cover early before sending him forward three deep to make his run.
He and Nicconi ($4.80), who enjoyed a nice trail on the rail for Brad Rawiller, had the race between them in the straight but it was Fravashi who prevailed by a short-neck.
Heart Of Dreams ($12) came from last for an eye-catching third 1-3/4 lengths away.
"Nicconi is a pretty good horse and it got down to a tooth and nail dogfight but he (Fravashi) poked his head out on the line and was good enough today," Snowden said.
Snowden said he believed the big Flemington track would suit Fravashi better than Caulfield when he goes to his main mission in Melbourne this autumn, the Group One $750,000 Australian Guineas (1600m) on March 7.
The colt has now won four of his seven starts and Saturday's victory was his second at Group Two level after the QTC Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m) at Eagle Farm as a two-year-old.
Trustus ($81) held on well after racing handy to finish fourth, while Costa de Hero ($5.50) missed the start and settled second last before working home well along the inside to finish fifth.