Tavistock Quinella at Valley

Media Release - Saturday August 12

Former Cambridge Stud stallion Tavistock played a starring role at Moonee Valley on Saturday with a quinella in the Ladbrokes Racing Club Challenger Handicap (2040m), headed by emerging four-year-old Superstock.

Superstock finished ahead of Havisham (inner) for a Tavistock quinella at Moonee Valley on Saturday.  Photo: Bruno Cannatelli

Unplaced in the Gr.3 Chairman’s Stakes (2000m) during an aborted Gr.1 South Australian Derby (2500m) campaign in the autumn, Superstock has returned bigger, stronger and better in his latest preparation. He has now recorded a win, two seconds, a third and a fourth from six appearances since June, and Saturday’s performance hinted at even more to come.

Ridden by Craig Williams for trainers Mark and Levi Kavanagh, Superstock settled in fourth along the rail, then began to slide closer as fellow Tavistock gelding Havisham pinched a break on the field with 400m remaining.

Havisham rounded the home turn with a clear lead, but Superstock lengthened stride and clawed his way past to beat him by half a length.

Superstock has now had 11 starts for two wins, four placings and A$112,800 in prize-money.

“He’s been relatively consistent,” Levi Kavanagh said. “We had the Derby in Adelaide in mind for him earlier in the year, and he’d done really well on the way up, but we just weren’t sure about that distance.

Advertisement

“He went to Adelaide, but he went forward and just burned himself out in the running in his Derby lead-up. We decided to give him a break, then brought him back and focussed on slightly shorter trips. He ran a super race for second over 1400m at Caulfield (June 24), he flew home that day, and he’s gone on well since then.

“He’s found a bit of bad luck in a couple of his races since then, but he sat closer today and didn’t have as much work to do. It was a great ride from Craig Williams and it suited him down to the ground. He extended and was able to get there when it counted.

“I think he’s got scope to keep improving. He’s still quite lowly rated, so there are some opportunities for him to kick on.”

One of 518 winners from 736 runners for the late, great Tavistock, Superstock was bred by Cambridge Stud owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay. He is the first named foal out of the Savabeel mare Sistabeel, who herself was a four-time winner on the racetrack. NZ Racing Desk.

Advertisment

Race Result - Ladbrokes Racing Club Challenger (Bm70) 2040m

Moonee Valley Track: Good(3) Time: 2:05.11
1
Superstock
- 4g Tavistock (NZ) x Sistabeel (AUS) (Savabeel (AUS))
Tnr: Mark & Levi Kavanagh Rdr: Craig Williams 57
2
0.5
Havisham
- 6g Tavistock (NZ) x So Pristine (AUS) (Zabeel (NZ))
Tnr: Andrea Leek Rdr: Thomas Stockdale 55.5
3
1.5
Bond Street Beau
- 5g Turn Me Loose (NZ) x Next (GB) (In The Wings (GB))
Tnr: Andrew Bobbin Rdr: Ben Allen 58.5
4
1.6
Duke Of Hastings
- 5g Sacred Falls (NZ) x Fairygem (NZ) (Viscount (AUS))
Tnr: Simon Zahra Rdr: H Coffey 58.5
5
2.6
La Spezia
- 6m Toronado (IRE) x Lerichi (NZ) (Savabeel (AUS))
Tnr: Jamie Edwards Rdr: Carleen Hefel 54.5
6
3.1
Ashy Boy
- 5g Star Witness (AUS) x Al Julhara (AUS) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: P Kearney Rdr: Logan McNeil 56.5
7
3.5
Meiner Legacy
- 6g Rulership (JPN) x Rosette Nebula (JPN) (Neo Universe (JPN))
Tnr: Aaron Purcell Rdr: Declan Bates 60
8
3.6
Shultzy
- 6g Helmet (AUS) x Princess Hussey (AUS) (Husson (ARG))
Tnr: Pat Cannon Rdr: Liam Riordan 61
9
3.7
Confrontational
- 6g Redoute's Choice (AUS) x Zastava (AUS) (Encosta De Lago (AUS))
Tnr: Jason Warren Rdr: Tatum Bull 57
10
4.4
Wascaly
- 6g Complacent (AUS) x Goolagong (IRE) (Giant's Causeway (USA))
Tnr: Smiley Chan Rdr: M J Dee 60.5
11
4.7
Red Columbine
- 5m Redwood (GB) x Surprize Surprize (NZ) (Prized (USA))
Tnr: R Griffiths & M De Kock Rdr: Beau Mertens 56
12
5.7
Girello
- 5g Reward For Effort (AUS) x Mrs Tangles (AUS) (Encosta De Lago (AUS))
Tnr: M C Kent Rdr: W F Pinn 56.5
13
9.7
Delcoff
- 6g Rock Sturdy (AUS) x Bella Flight (AUS) (Super Jet (USA))
Tnr: M W Greig Rdr: Ms A Herrmann 54
More Reading...
Rising HK Star for Embellish
Bulb General continued his electric form in Hong Kong to bring loftier targets into play for the son of Embellish.
Wootton Bassett G1 Double on Arc Day
The shattering loss of Wootton Bassett (GB) has been highlighted at Longchamp in France on Arc Day where the champion sire added two new Group I winners to his tally in 2YO colt Puerto Rico and the former Aussie owned 3YO colt Maranoa Charlie.
First G1 Winner for St Marks Basilica - 1.7million Filly Undefeated
The top lot at the 2025 Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale was a blueblood St Mark’s Basilica filly from blue hen Prudenzia that sold for €1.7million to MV Magnier and she became the first Group I winner for her sire when charging home to win the Group I Prix Marcel Boussac (1600m) at Longchamp.
Shamus Award Mare Chasing Another G1
Adverse weather has forced multiple Group One winner Quintessa to take an unorthodox route to next Saturday’s Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m), with the mare appearing at the Awapuni trials on Monday afternoon.
Kiwi Bred War Machine Secures Everest Slot
The NZB Ready to Run Sale is never short of graduates flying the flag on Group One stages in Australia. With the 2025 edition at Karaka now less than six weeks away, War Machine (NZ) (Harry Angel) has put his hand up to continue that trend this spring.
Aga Khan Homebred 3YO Colt - 2025 Arc de Triomphe Winner
The Group I Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (2400m) was run overnight at Longchamp and one of the world’s great races produced a thriller with blueblood €1.85 millionsale-topping Frankel filly Minnie Hauk going down by a head to the Aga Khan homebred Sea the Stars colt Daryz.
Historic Day in Kalgoorlie - Old Meets the New
Kalgoorlie knows how to party, and on Cup day 2025 the party was big!
Sires With Winners - Sunday October 5
Here is the full list of 47 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Aussie Bred Asfoora Wins Third G1 on Arc Day in France
Victorians breeders celebrated overnight with Aussie bred and owned Flying Artie mare Asfoora returning to her dazzling best on one of the world’s biggest stages to win the Group I Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp (1000m) with a scintillating performance on Arc Day in France.
Everest Runner/New G1 Horse for Hellbent as Invincible Legacy Surges
Hellbent has made a solid start to the new season with 25 winners racking up over $2million in earnings and he will have a runner in the $20million The Everest in two weeks time with Magic Time confirmed for the Inglis slot, while at Randwick last Saturday he added another G1 performer to his tally.