‘I’m quietly confident he can step up to the mark’
Connections keen on Caballus in red-hot running of Moonee Valley’s Moir Stakes
Syndicator Scott Darby and trainer Bjorn Baker believe their good fortune in the late acquisition of Caballus (I Am Invincible) can take another leap forward when he resumes in a mouth-watering Moir Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
The decision to reschedule the Moir from late to early September appears to have paid off handsomely, with an elite nine-runner field attracted including favourite Estriella (I Am Invincible), I Wish I Win (Savabeel), Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon), Mornington Glory (Shalaa) and Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Hayasugi (Royal Meeting).
Caballus, who on Tuesday drew the outside barrier, was tucked away in sixth spot in market order for the $750,000 feature at around $15 as he lines up for another battle with $2.50 shot Estriella – the also-resuming four-year-old mare who in fact played a role in his purchase by Darby Racing almost a year ago.
Bred by Victorian hobby breeder Reg Ryan and an eye-catcher from day one, Caballus was swooped upon by Coolmore’s Tom Magnier for $1 million when offered through Bhima Thoroughbreds’ draft at Inglis Easter 2022.
He showed early promise for Chris Waller. Debuting as a July two-year-old, he won his second start at Randwick over 1100 metres, then finished a luckless third at odds-on over 1300 metres at Rosehill. The colt then disappointed when ninth in the Up And Coming Stakes (Gr 3, 1300m) before a modest fifth in a Wednesday Benchmark 72 over 1200 metres at Rosehill.
With one win in five starts, his connections swiftly decided to sell him, putting him in the Inglis October (Early) Online Sale. Darby went hard to secure him, making him the sale-topper at $315,000 – more than double the second-highest lot.
Their faith has been quickly rewarded. Transferred to Baker’s Warwick Farm stable, Caballus won two barrier trials before scoring on debut for his new trainer, in a Saturday Benchmark 72 over 1100 metres at Rosehill.
Stepped up substantially in class, he not only won again but claimed the black type that had previously eluded him, taking Randwick’s Eskimo Prince Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m).
The bar was raised again when he went to the Flemington straight for the $1m Inglis Sprint (1200m) for his most recent start in March. Left to work alone after drawing wide up the outside part of the track, Caballus ran a meritorious third, beaten 1.8 lengths behind Estriella.
Baker reported the now four-year-old stallion has returned from his winter spell in imposing order, as evidenced by two impressive recent barrier trials. The form from those has been emphatically franked, with Caballus running second to two of the most impressive winners of the early spring – finishing 0.52 lengths behind Joliestar (Zoustar) and 1.25 lengths off Storm Boy (Justify).
Given Caballus’s development, Darby admits to a growing excitement over the entire’s prospects of rewarding his decision to bite the bullet and buy him – a move spurred in part by the mare who the bookies feel is his toughest rival on Saturday.
“We were actually looking at his half-brother by Zoustar at the two-year-old Ready To Run sale at the same time, but he didn’t quite have some of the things we’re after,” Darby said, in reference to a colt ultimately withdrawn, and now in training with his vendor Tal Nolen, named Zoned Out.
“I remember saying to my team, ‘Well, his half–brother is online – Caballus’. We knew his formline well from the race he won as a two-year-old, because we had a horse in it [sixth-placed Desperately (Rubick)].”
There was another horse in that race who ran second – the Ciaron Maher-trained Estriella.
“We spoke to Ciaron and said, ‘What are your thoughts on Estriella?’” Darby said. “He didn’t hesitate and just said, ‘Group 1 horse’.”
Darby also spoke with Waller and Coolmore, which allayed any potential fears over their reasoning behind Caballus being moved on.
“Chris said he thought if he was gelded he’d be more tractable. He said it wasn’t really about his temperament; he was just getting in between runners and not finishing off,” Darby told ANZ Bloodstock News.
“We’re always aware the big syndicates, if they don’t think a horse is going to measure up in the bigger races, they’ll sell them on, and Coolmore are always after those stallion prospects.
“But every now and then, one can slip through the cracks.”
Darby went beyond his budget to beat off Hong Kong interest to secure Caballus – but with reasoning that was sound then, and has been proven so since.
“It was probably a little more than we thought we’d get him for. We were thinking maybe $250,000 to $300,000,” he said.
“That’s a lot of money for a tried horse, but the formlines were there. And he was a very easy sell, to be honest, all with existing clients.
“To get a horse bred like him and with the formlines he had – many times you’re paying the same sort of money for a yearling you’ve never even seen trot or canter, let alone win a Saturday race.
“We went in with eyes wide open and thought we’d give him a shot, leave him as an entire, and assess that ourselves. They can change those colts; they can settle down.
“We kind of looked at him as a really good Saturday–class horse, and anything else would be a bonus. He certainly exceeded those expectations in his first prep with us.”
The decision not to geld has so far been vindicated.
“He’s got a great attitude,” Baker told ANZ Bloodstock News. “He’s got great energy, is very laid back, and very straight forward. As a trainer, you always have to be a bit circumspect when you get a tried horse. But I’ve been lucky to get a ready-made horse.”
Depending on Caballus’s form, the $20m Everest (1200m) on October 19 is in the back of connections’ minds. More importantly though, they’re after the Group 1 which would sheet home his prospects of a stallion deal.
“Even on the back of his Group 3 win and his pedigree, and the type of horse he is, he’d probably find a stud somewhere if that’s all he ever did,” Darby said. “But for the commercial studs, you’ve got to win the right races, so we’ll be pushing him that way.”
Aside from performance, there are those movie star looks. Caballus was a head-turner from his early weeks as a foal, according to veteran breeder Verna Metcalfe. She reared him for long-term client Ryan, who’d bought the dam Calming Influence (Commands) for $290,000 when she was offloaded by Yarraman Park in-foal with Caballus.
Metcalfe told ANZ Bloodstock News Caballus had been “the type you’d be driving past a paddock, or looking into a bunch of weanlings, and you’d see this one and go, ‘Geez – what’s that?!”
Four years haven’t dulled those looks at all.
“There’s not many I’ve trained that would be as good looking as as him,” Baker said. “If he can get a big result on his resume, it’s definitely going to pay off later.
“He’s a good size, a good 16 hands and solid with it, and he’s definitely got some quality about him.”
As for his leap up in class in the weight-for-age Moir, over the shortest trip of his career, Baker believes the lightly raced dark bay will by no means be out of his depth, saying he’d had him marked out for shorter distances after his last preparation.
“We’re under no illusions – it’s a tough ask,” Baker said. “But he’s travelled down to Melbourne in good order, and he was very good galloping around Moonee Valley this morning [Tuesday]. Plus we’ve given him a fair few gallops at home left handed, and he seems to handle it really well.
“His run at Flemington was good, out wide on his own. He’s got some form around Estriella, and she’s the clear favourite, so that gives us a bit of confidence.
“His trials were excellent, and it was good to see Storm Boy come out and do what he did on the weekend. Not that you can look too much into trials, but that gives us a bit of confidence as well.”
That sentiment was echoed by Darby, who said Caballus “wouldn’t look out of place at any stud”.
He said: “Being an entire we wanted to try him at Group 1 level – that’s where the big money is. Obviously if he performs well on Saturday, if not win, The Everest is on the cards, but we’ll let him tell us where he’s at this spring.
“I think he’s come back better than last time. Obviously it’s a big step up from where he’s been, but when he won that Group 3, we thought he’d have the scope to keep improving.
“So it’s going to be a big test for him, but I’m quietly confident he can step up to the mark.”