Cabeza maintained a steep learning curve at Flemington on Saturday with a powerful victory in the Life Saving Victoria Plate (1720m).  The Danny O’Brien trained gelding was in a different class to the off-season gallopers he demolished at headquarters.

Cabeza (4g Zabeel – Lady Iguazu by Carolingian) was his own worst enemy last year leaving connections no alternative but to have him gelded.  “He’s won four races although it should have been more,” O’Brien relayed on Saturday.  “I left him as a colt too long but now he’s more tractable.”

The refocused gelding created a new Moonee Valley track record for 1600m (1.34.78s) on New Year’s Eve and that ensured he started in the red at Flemington.  O’Brien is already rating him in the same league as his Group 1 gallopers Gallopin and Vigor.

“Vigor and Gallopin both come through during the summer months and they ended up in a Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup,” he said.  “Cabeza is every bit as good as those horses at the same time of their careers.”

Champion sire Zabeel got him from Kiwi mare (Lady) Iguazu who was a G3 winner of the Manawatu Classic and White Robe Lodge Stakes.  Her first foal Iguazu’s Girl (Redoute’s Choice) has an O’Reilly colt (Lot 361) at the upcoming NZB Premier Sale at Karaka.