Brett Robb’s decision to send Dalavin on a northern pilgrimage paid off on Saturday, with the Dubbo galloper breaking through for his first metropolitan win at Eagle Farm.
Under the care of respected Brisbane trainer Barry Lockwood, the Dubbo galloper was having his second run in Queensland.
Martin Harley was in the saddle, guiding him to an impressive win in the 1000m Benchmark 85 Handicap.
Raced by Greg and Maida O’Mally, Robb was thrilled to land the big win for connections.
“It couldn’t have happened to better owners,” Robb said.
“Greg and Maida O’Mally have been two of my biggest supporters, and I actually broke Dalavin in when I was leaving Nyngan, and I thought they might stay on with Dad, but they keep sending me horses, and to get a winner at Eagle Farm for them is unreal.”
Now a nine-time winner, Dalavin’s earlier victories were at Coonamble (x 2), Muswellbrook and Gunnedah.
He turned into a Dubbo specialist last year, winning four races on the trot at his home track between July and October, including victories in the Vincent Gordon Flying Handicap and the transferred Coonamble Crystal Sprint.
Robb explained that Dalavin wasn’t the best traveller, which is why he failed to fire in Sydney.
He would need to carry too much weight at home to race, meaning Robb’s hands were tied.
“He is rated 93 out here, and he is not a horse you can travel,” Robb said.
“Around here, he has to carry 64 or 65 kilos, and I couldn’t keep running him with that weight, and I’ve taken him to town and Hawkesbury, but he’s a bit of a thinker, and he couldn’t blow wind up them.
“He went all right at Muswellbrook, but every time we seem to go over the mountains, he doesn’t race well.”
As a result, Robb decided to use the services of Lockwood, who is the six-year-olds caretaker trainer.
“I always wanted to send a horse to Barry; I had heard a lot about him, and I thought, if this horse is ever going to win a good race, he’ll do it up there where they will walk him across the road to the races.
“So, we sent him up, and he travelled and settled in good, and Barry was really happy with him.
“Barry’s got an unbelievable set-up; he’s a great bloke and a good trainer.”
Robb was surprised with just how well his Fast ‘N Famous gelding settled into life in Queensland.
“The horse is a bit of a thinker, and the way Barry works his horses, he has them cool and calm,” Robb said.
“A fortnight ago, I went up, and I couldn’t believe how well he had settled in; he was quiet and relaxed, and first up, he ran a good race, finishing fourth after he drew wide and had to do a bit of work.”
Leading into Saturday’s win, a gear change made all the difference as Dalavin fired for his new home away from home.
“Barry rang me the other day and said he had worked him with the blinkers on,” Robb said.
“We’ve been looking to put the blinkers on him; at Wagga, Kayla (Nisbet) got off him and said he needed them on, and Sam (Clipperton) said the same thing the run before, so Barry worked him with them, and it worked, and on Saturday, he got back and ran home good for the win.”
When quizzed on the training of Dalavin, Robb suggested it was a team effort, with communication the key.
“When I sent him up, I spoke to Barry and told him what we do with him, but I said to him, ‘Look, you’ve trained more winners than me, so you do what you think is best’, and he rings me every three or four days, and we talk about what we should do, and what we’ve done before.”
Robb, who is eyeing the $2 million The Kosciuszko with 2023 Country Championships winner Sizzle Minizzle, believes Dalavin is a chance of being picked up.
“Since the weekend, there’s been a bit of talk of it,” Robb said.
“If the horse can go and win up there again, there might be a bit of interest, so the plan is to go and win another one.”
Robb already has a plan if Dalavin is selected to race in The Kosciuszko.
“If we do get a slot, we’ll send him to Sydney ten days to a fortnight out from the race,” Robb said.
“He’s raced well in Brisbane, and he settled in quickly, so he’s proved he can handle that, but first things first, we need to get another win, so he’ll go around in another two weeks.
“It will be the same grade, and he’ll go up two or three kilograms, and hopefully, he can run us another good race.”
For the moment, Robb is focusing on his big team and potentially sending more runners to Lockwood.
“I’ll look to send a few more up there,” Robb said.
“Moetta and Morgenstern are back in work, and they’ll likely head that way, and even a horse like Boom Basil might go up.”
On the home front, the Dubbo stable has a big few days ahead of them, with runners at Louth on Saturday, Dubbo on Sunday, and Gunnedah on Tuesday.
Louth fields, click here
Dubbo fields, click here
Gunnedah nominations, click here
