The Melbourne Cup winning combination of trainer Mark Kavanagh and owner Laurence Eales have hit the ground running this season.

They were guests of honour when Melbourne Cup winner Shocking was presented to NZ breeders at Rich Hill Stud last Sunday week and then it was the turn of stable star Whobegotyou to take centre stage at Caulfield on Saturday.

Another member of the team on the way up is last-start maiden winner Chicanes.

A bargain buy from the 2009 Magic Millions National weanling sale, Chicanes won on debut by two lengths at Geelong last Friday.  “He’s a bargain buy already,” Eales noted.  “I got him for just $1,000 from Eureka Stud as a foal at the Gold Coast.

“There was a little method behind my madness,” Eales said.  “When I was at the Magic Millions Horses in Training Sale a few years back I liked a couple of horses – one was Shocking and the other was a grey by Markane.

“Luckily I bought Shocking.  The Markane was sold overseas but I noticed his full brother at the 2009 Sale and thought for a cheap price he would be a good buy!”

Chicanes is a son of Markane (Red Ransom) from Sea Affair (Sea Road).  The dam is a sister or half sister to nine winners including Simmo’s Revenge and The Winslow Boy.

Hoofnote:   The Markane that Eales discarded in favour of Shocking was later named Tiger On The Turf.  Sent off-shore in July 2008, he was unplaced in two starts in Malaysia.