As a former jumps jockey, Mark Kavanagh knows a thing or two about obstacles. But this spring, Kav must have thought he'd wandered into the middle of a Grand Annual Steeplechase as setback after setback hit his stable.
The first signs that a promising spring was not going to plan came when his old champion Maldivian, the winner of last year's Cox Plate, injured himself and Kavanagh decided to retire him. At that stage, it didn’t seem too bad, with the stable's other star Whobegotyou a raging favourite for this year's Cox Plate.
Whobegotoyou had barely put a foot wrong in his build up to the weight-for-age championship of Australia and started a short-priced favourite. But Bart Cummings spoiled the party with his three-year-old So You Think as Whobegotyou struggled to run on. Kav left the course feeling as though he'd turned up for his own wedding and had been left at the alter.
But there was always the hope of further promise. Seven days later, Kavanagh's brilliant three-year-old Shamoline Warrior was destined for Derby glory. As the week went on, the confidence that the emerging stayer was clearly the best horse in the race rose and he was set to start a short-priced favourite.
But on the morning of the race, Kav felt something wasn't right and the vets confirmed that a lung infection would cost Shamoline Warrior its spot in the Derby. Surely this was three strikes you are out for Kav and his team.
Throughout the spring, Shocking had been something of a frustration for the trainer. He kept on running on in his races, but too often he'd find one better. On two occasions it was the boom stayer Alcopop, who everyone was raving about, who beat him home.
Mark Kavanagh does a good perplexed look and he'd perfected it for much of Shocking's campaign. Every time he was asked about where the four-year-old was at, he would look at the ground, roll his eyes around and suggest that he needed to step up.
It wasn't until Saturday that Shocking finally put his best foot forward. He smashed the field in the Lexus Stakes and finally Kavanagh's spring of torment was starting to turn around. However, at that stage, Kavanagh didn't even have a jockey for the Cup as 51kgs was too light for usual hoop Michael Rodd. Corey Brown was keen to take up the engagement but he had a prior commitment on Vigor. It wasn't until the VRC committee refused to use their discretionary power to elevate Vigor into the field that Brown was confirmed as Shocking's jockey. That was 7pm Saturday.
At 3pm Tuesday, Brown took his place in barrier 21 knowing he'd need every piece of luck possible to get his mount into a position where he could win Australia's greatest race. But as Brown would readily admit afterwards, he didn't get that position and Shocking would be forced to sit three wide throughout the race.
Normally that would be enough to end the hopes of any trainer and as they passed Chiquita Lodge, Kavanagh was again cursing his luck. But a light weight and slow pace meant that the three-wide run wasn't as big a disadvantage as it could have been. It also meant that Brown could make his move early and that proved decisive.
While the other major chances, Viewed,