Kavanagh: 'To Be Associated With A Horse Like Vandeek Is Huge For Us'

Relief quickly turned to joy for Roderick Kavanagh on Thursday after Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), the highest profile horse to have graduated from his Glending Stables after fetching 625,000gns at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale, confirmed himself a top-notch colt in the making when landing the G2 Richmond S. at Goodwood. 

The joint top lot of that sale, Vandeek was knocked down to Anthony Stroud on behalf of KHK Racing Ltd and was making it two wins from as many starts for Simon and Ed Crisford at Goodwood. 

After Vandeek made a successful debut at Nottingham last month, Kavanagh admitted that relief was the overriding emotion that he experienced. 

However, with Group 1 targets put forward by connections after Thursday's triumph, the young operator explained that he was beginning to allow himself to enjoy the occasion and pointed to how special it is for his family to be associated with a colt who could now be bound for the Prix Morny in France. 

He said, “It's a great accolade for the horse to come out and be unbeaten in his first two starts on a racecourse and to win such a prestigious race as the Richmond. It's a testimony to what is a family run business here at home between Glending, Kildaragh Stud and Alice [Kavanagh's sister] with AK Thoroughbreds. I can remember the first day I got the leg up on Vandeek, Alice was holding on to him, and he was a fine, big and strapping colt. Having capable people in place to do the job right and produce them at the sales in the best possible shape is a huge asset.”

Kavanagh added, “Even my mum [Antoinette] in accounts who manages the logistics of everything and my Dad [Peter] who has been a great guide from day one, it's been a massive team effort. We have some key people on the farm here as well but for us as a family, being associated with a horse like Vandeek, it means a lot.”

Vandeek was bred by Maywood Stud, who sold him as a foal to Childwickbury Stud at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale for 52,000gns. He was knocked down to Glending at the December Yearling Sale at Tattersalls for just 42,000gns before turning that mammoth profit less than six months later at the Craven Breeze-Up Sale, which has proved a major confidence booster for everyone at Glending, according to Kavanagh.

He explained, “We put in a new gallop at home and this year's two-year-olds were the first to come off it. I'm sure there are lots of other variables that make it work but the fact that the system is in place for producing horses for the breeze-ups and for them to go on and do the business on the track and continue to progress, it's very encouraging. We plan to go back and do something similar this year and results like this gives you the confidence to reinvest.”

Vandeek has already confirmed himself as one of the smartest juveniles in training in Britain but Kavanagh says that he is confident that the colt can be even better next year.

He said, “I know we are getting towards the back end of the season now but I didn't expect him to be doing it as he is. With Havana Grey, you'd be expecting precocity but I wasn't sure he was going to be as early as this. It's great to see him kicking on and getting to an international level of competition. The Morny will be the ultimate test but, at this stage, he has earned his place in the line-up in a Group 1.

“Cormac O'Flynn, who owned the horse in partnership with me, was talking about the Craven Stakes for the horse next year even before today. I was slagging him about that but it's looking like it could be a fair shout now. Hopefully he would be on course for races like that next season and, with his physical stature, you would be thinking that he can make up into a very good three-year-old.”