Levi Kavanagh in stakes win at Flemington

Young Flemington trainer Levi Kavanagh has scored a breakthrough stakes race success in the final race of the Melbourne Cup carnival at Flemington.

Following on from a Stawell maiden victory on debut, Kentucky Breeze graduated to town on Saturday taking out the Listed Emirates Airlines Stakes.

Ridden by Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Corey Brown, Kentucky Breeze was supported from $31 to $21 before holding off the fast-finishing Muraaqeb ($8.50) by a long head with Sircconi ($14) a head away third.

A three-year-old son of Pierro, Kentucky Breeze was a speck purchase by Kavanagh.

“He was a mad colt at the time so I took him back to our farm, ended up gelding him and he relaxed really nicely,” Kavanagh said.

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“The guys have been patient and now he’s won two from two and he’s a stakes winner so it’s all working out well.”

Kavanagh said it was a massive thrill to break through for his first stakes race success on his home track, and during Australia’s biggest racing week.

“I’ve only been training a couple of years,” Kavanagh said.

“I’ve only purchased three horses from the sales so far, one is a city winner, one is this one and the other is showing plenty of promise.”

Corey Brown was fined $3000 for overuse use of the whip on Kentucky Breeze.