Believe'N'Succeed

Exciting galloper Believe’N’Succeed has returned to the Flemington stables of trainer Mark Kavanagh after a injury setback ruled her out of taking any part in the spring carnival.

The daughter of Exceed And Excel was sidelined with breathing difficulties following a routine track gallop on the eve of the spring carnival.

Speaking to Sport 927 this morning, Kavanagh revealed the filly had a condition called ‘Epiglottic Entrapment’.

“Last August she had a good gallop one morning and she didn’t recover too well and we realised there was a problem there,” Kavanagh said.

“We didn’t get her to race in the springtime, so she just had a bit of laser surgery in her throat and all signs are looking real positive.”

While some affected horses can race successfully with the condition, the surgery untaken by Believe’N’Succeed is generally curative with a relapse rate of 5%.

Kavanagh described the procedure as “not touch and go” but then noted a return to the racetrack is not assured with the multiple Group 1 winning trainer monitoring her progress diligently.

“The only thing touch and go was whether she was going to be a racehorse or have fun and be a broodmare.”

“That was the only decision that had to be made and that’s still on the table at the moment.”

Underlining the cautious approach from Kavanagh, any bold plans for Believe’N’Succeed have been quashed for the meantime with the principle aim of rehabilitating the talented juvenile.

“Well we’ve just pretty thankful we can get her back to the track before we make to many big plans for her.”

“But most certainly if we can get her back to where she was, she’ll be in plenty of races.”

Contesting the three ‘legs’ of the Blue Diamond series in the autumn, Believe’N’Succeed was beaten narrowly on debut behind Sienna’s Fury in the Fillies Preview (1000m) before winning the Fillies Prelude (1100m) at Group 3 level a fortnight later.

Believe’N’Succeed was then beaten by one length finishing fourth behind Reaan, All American and Burgeis in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield, heading to the paddock with $129,750 in prizemoney.

Meanwhile another Mark Kavanagh trained galloper, Boogi On The Grass, has been sent to the paddock following a leg injury.

The slow maturing New Zealand bred mare, suffered bone chips in her near fore fetlock joint.

“She was operated on yesterday, she had chips on her joint,” Kavanagh told Sport 927 this morning.

Boogi On The Grass is now expected to be away from the racetrack for an extended period of time.

“It’ll take about three months to recover and then she’ll be back in work. So it’ll probably around five months till she’ll be back on the track.”

Transferring to the Morphettville stables of Mark Kavanagh from New Zealand after being winless from eight starts, Boogi On The Grass has thrived in South Australia under the watchful eye of stable foreman Sam Kavanagh, winning four of its last five starts.

Progressing from Maidens to Open company has seen Boogi On The Grass take it’s prizemoney to $52,449. Of which $50,700 has been earned whilst under Kavanagh’s tutelage in her past seven outings.

Exciting stuff.