Octavia win sets up Cockram Stakes start

Saturday 27 July 2013, 3:29pm

Trainer Mike Moroney's decision to pull Caulfield specialist Octavia out of the Group Three Bletchingly Stakes paid off handsomely on Saturday.

Octavia jumped to the front in the Daniel McMillian Handicap and the $1.95 favourite scored by 3-1/2 lengths from Draw Forward ($15) with Means A Lot ($13) third.

Moroney will now target Octavia at the Group Three Cockram Stakes at Caulfield next month.

Moroney scratched Octavia from the weight-for-age Bletchingly at Caulfield in favour of running against her on sex and the three-year-old could not have won any more convincingly under in-form apprentice Kayla Nisbet.

"The Cockram is a tough race but she's a specialist around here so we'll give her a chance," Moroney said.

After the Richard Hogg Handicap, Cranbourne trainer Sharna Valli was lost for words after her gelding Use The Lot held on to win over 2400 metres.

It was her first metropolitan win after gaining her trainer's licence six years ago.

She had been working under Doug Harrison and it was he she looked for after the race.

"I'm trying not to cry," she said.

Jockey Ibrahim Gundogdu had his mount travelling kindly to the home turn.

"A the top of the straight I thought I was home," he said.

But Use The Lot ($10) had to fight off big challenges from Stable Star ($81) to win by a long neck neck with Spring Cheer ($6.50) 1-1/4 lengths away third.

– AAP

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