Flying Award winning at Flemington (Image: Racing Photos)
The Anzac Day Stakes has a habit of impacting the Spring Carnival and Danny O'Brien is intent on giving Flying Award his chance to follow that trend later this year.
The two-year-old colt was the first leg of a last-to-first double in each of the first two races for O'Brien and Damien Oliver when he showcased an impressive turn of foot to win the 1400-metre Listed event.
WATCH: Flying Award's win
Flying Award is a son of Shamus Award, who O'Brien trained to win the 2013 Cox Plate as a maiden, and while the Flemington trainer stopped short of saying The Valley's prized event was his spring goal, he will be given every chance to secure a place in the race.
"He's a horse that we really think is going to be around the mark in the spring, particularly when we get to a mile and a mile-and-a-quarter," O'Brien said.
"He's got all the right attributes to be a really top-class three-year-old.
"We certainly think we'll be aiming him at the Caulfield Guineas and, naturally, a three-year-old that runs well in the Caulfield Guineas, as Shamus Award did (when third), there's always that option to go to the Cox Plate.
"He's in front of his dad because he won a race as a two-year-old."
Flying Award, the $5 favourite, scored by a neck from Ironedge ($21), with Indictment ($9.50) a long neck back in third. His winning time of 1:24.87 included a 10.83-second split from the 400m to the 200m and an 11.30-second final 200m.
Long John completed the Anzac Day Stakes/Caulfield Guineas double in 2013 and Vassilator finished second to superstar The Autumn Sun in the 2018 Guineas after winning the Anzac Day Stakes while last year Super Seth rebounded from Anzac Day Stakes defeat as the $1.40 favourite to win the Guineas.
Two years earlier, Merchant Navy progressed from Anzac Day Stakes victory to win the Coolmore Stud Stakes.
Flying Award's win was backed up by Naivasha, who like his stablemate came from last at the top of the straight to score a strong win.
The five-year-old daughter of Starcraft, who started $4.40 favourite, registered her fourth win, at start 19, when she overcame difficulty early in the straight to score a half-length win over Cryptic Jewel ($9.50).
Lamu, the $4.80 second elect, was held up for a run for much of the straight but closed off well to finish third, a nose behind Cryptic Jewel.
WATCH: Naivasha's win