Savaglee ready to take on older rivals at Te Rapa

[Wandering Eyes]

Savaglee (NZ) (Savabeel) has conquered all before him at age-group level in New Zealand, and on Saturday, the star colt will take on the older horses in a star-studded edition of the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m).

In six starts as a three-year-old, Savaglee has won on five occasions, including the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m), Gr.2 Sarten Memorial (1400m), Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) and Gr.2 Levin Classic (1400m), all with considerable ease.

His owners The Oaks Stud, and Pam Gerard, who trains the gelding at Matamata, resisted the temptation of a $1.5 million prize on Karaka Millions Night in favour of the $500,000 feature, which gives a more favourable lead-in to a tilt at the A$1 million Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 1.

The son of Savabeel had his final public appearance in an exhibition gallop last Friday at Te Rapa, where he will return this weekend to take on the likes of Grail Seeker (NZ) (Iffraaj) and Australian raiders Busustow and Here To Shock (NZ) (Shocking).

“It was a nice day out and a bit of a hit out for him, he’s always pretty casual and never gives too much away,” Gerard said. “I’m happy with how he’s come away from that.

“He’ll work in the morning and have a swim in the afternoon as usual for the next couple of days, it’s just keeping him ticking over. We’re just aiming to have him bright, healthy and happy.

“He can do whatever he needs to do, he jumps and puts himself in the race, he can be back, forward, it doesn’t matter. He’s very adaptable, nothing needs to change.”

As he has at every start this season, the colt will be ridden by Sam Spratt, and in the early TAB market, he is rated a $3.80 second favourite behind Grail Seeker ($2.30).

Gerard’s stable will see plenty of the Kiwi countryside over the remainder of the week, with Reputation (NZ) (Iffraaj) heading to Tauherenikau and Harlech (NZ) (Darci Brahma) at Wingatui for respective stakes assignments.

On Waitangi Day, Reputation will step out in the Listed NZB Clubs Wairarapa Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) after acquitting herself well against the likes of Snazzytavi (NZ) (Tavistock) and Campionessa (NZ) (Contributer) in Group Two company in December.

“It’s a tricky little race, it’s a big trip to get down there but it’s a nice chance for her to get some black-type,” Gerard said.

“We’ve asked a lot of her this season, she’s raced well out of her grade and performed very well. This was probably one of the easier options for her, even though she’s had to travel a long way.”

Harlech will take his place in the Listed Nellies Restaurant and Bar Hazlett Stakes (1400m) on Saturday in the deep south after a formidable campaign in Canterbury in the autumn last year, culminating in a win in the Easter Cup (1600m).

“We had a bit of a hiccup before the Matamata Cup, nothing major, but we had to regroup with him,” Gerard said.

“It was hard to find many starts up here in that grade in the open miles, so we’ve sent him down there. He’s been down for about three weeks now, we’re targeting the White Robe (Gr.3, 1600m) on the 1st of March and this is a nice lead-up.

“He’s very well, he looks absolutely fantastic and loves it down there.”

Closer to home on Friday, newcomer Fall For Cindy (NZ) (Sacred Falls) will make her debut in New Zealand at the Tauranga meeting. A winner of five races in Australia, Fall For Cindy won the Gr.3 Dark Jewel Stakes (1400m) last autumn, but after a quiet spring, owner Garry Chittick opted to bring the daughter of Sacred Falls across the Tasman in search of further black-type.

“I’m still learning a bit about her, she’s very casual and laidback in her work,” Gerard said. “She’s going in without a trial, we had been looking to kick-off in the Lisa Chittick Plate (Listed, 1400m) at Matamata but she’s just caught me by surprise a bit in how laidback she has been.

“When the noms were very light at Tauranga, we thought we’d give her a day out at the races and hopefully that will bring her on a little bit more, rather than just loafing around at home.

“The 1200 could well be a little short and she’s got a bit of weight to carry, but if she can be hitting the line strongly, we’ll be happy with that result.”

The mare will carry 58kg in the EMAC Electrical (1200m) courtesy of Triston Moodley’s two-kilogram claim, while her stablemate Lingjun Xiongfeng also lines up in the race, on an unconventional route to a middle-distance feature.

“He’s another one we put in late, we couldn’t get a rider at 53kg unfortunately at Auckland last week,” Gerard said.

“We are aiming him at the Kaimai Stakes (Listed, 2000m) at Matamata Breeders Day, he’s another horse with few races available for him and he needed to do something. With the light noms, we thought we’d pop him in and give him a hit out.

“He loves Tauranga, it’s not ideal going from winning at 1600m back to 1200m and then up to 2000m the next start, so he’s really there for a day out. But we know what he can do, he’s pretty smart when he wants to be.”

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