"A million", was Robbie Griffiths response when asked how many owners were in his handy gelding Cascabel.

Said owners were clustered in a big mass around the winners stall when Cascabel returned as the winner of the Jim Moloney Handicap at Caulfield this afternoon.

A well fancied second favourite at $3.80, rider Peter Mertens on Cascabel shot to the lead shortly after coming into the straight after early leader Dimi The Dancer weakened.

He maintained a good lead to the finishing post, winning by 2½ lengths from the fast finishing Rolngarros ($7-$10) with Nullarbor Crossing ($21-$31) third, another 1¼
lengths behind.

"He's always promised with a good fresh record", Griffiths said.

Cascabel has now won first up twice in his three preparations.

"Pretty much we're just going to poke along and go through the grades as well as we can", he said.

"Just keep putting him in his right races and hopefully have a nice summer."

Despite previous lack of success over distances greater than 1200m, Griffiths is hopeful that he can get Cascabel to extend his winning range this preparation.

"On form it looks as though he's a dry track sprinter up to seven furlongs but Peter's adamant he'll run a mile", Griffiths explained.

"We'll try him again at a mile later on once he gets to that level."

"If he's in this form and he doesn't run a mile, well there's no excuse for him."

Griffiths explained that there were excuses for Cascabel's two unsuccessful tilts at 1600m.

"Once it was on a backup at the Valley and the other was on a soft track."

We bought him at the Sydney Classic Salefor $17,000.

One of my best mates Damien Goss has been with me from my very first horse's first city win.

© Cyberhorse 2010 Bill Saunders Published 16/12/09