Kovalica ends winning drought in thrilling Q22 success at Eagle Farm
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Prominent Queensland owner Nev Morgan never doubted Kovalica would win another race.
He just didn't know when.
But the stars aligned on Saturday and Kovalica returned to the scene of his Group 1 Queensland Derby triumph of 2023 – the last time he won a race – to score the rich Q22 (2200m).
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But it was far from an easy watch to break the long winning drought as Kovalica dived at New Endeavour on the line and no one at Eagle Farm had much of an idea who had won.
Not even Morgan, who thought he might have been narrowly beaten.
But when the judge put the winner's number up, Kovalica was in the frame.
Kovalica may have not won for a long time and he has often been a tease.
But in fairness he has raced at a high level including tackling a Cox Plate, Melbourne Cup, Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Doncaster Miles.
'Of course I thought he would win again,' Morgan, who owns Kovalica with fellow Queenslander and great mate David Devine, said.
'Even before today, he had won $3.3 million in prizemoney.
'He races in all the good races.
'I hope he could even be a Melbourne Cup horse this year, he only got beaten four lengths in the race last year.
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'The maestro (Chris Waller) will work all that out.
'I didn't think this horse had won on the line today but my son-in-law said he thought he had, so I'm glad he was right.'
Winning rider Nash Rawiller also had no idea whether Kovalica had broken the drought.
'It was a long ride back to scale, making sure that I'd got there,' Rawiller said.
'I feel like I've redeemed myself for saying he'd win the Melbourne Cup last year.
'What a horse he's been.
'We made a call during the week – as late as Tuesday morning – to put the blinkers on today.
'You could tell in the run that he was going to do something.
'I've had a bit of a shit time lately, so I feel like I've bounced right back in a big way.'
Plenty have questioned whether Kovalica would get back to the winner's stall, but not Waller and his team.
'We haven't lost faith in him and he's been a good horse without winning,' Waller said.
'It took the length of the Eagle Farm straight to get there.
'That's his first win for a couple of years.
'He's been working to something good.'
Originally published as Owner Nev Morgan's unwavering belief in Kovalica pays off with a last stride victory in the Group 2 Q22 at Eagle Farm
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