NT hero Savatoxl out to defend Goodwood title

[Wandering Eyes]

Barend Vorster steers Savatoxl to victory in The Goodwood at Morphettville in 2021. (Picture: Atkins Photography)

Savatoxl’s first trainer and current owner Will Savage does not hesitate when asked if his six-year-old is the best sprinter to emerge from the Northern Territory.

“Easy I think, by far,” he told HorseBetting.com.au.

The Alice Springs legend is a $9 chance with Ladbrokes to defend his crown in The Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville on Saturday.

The miler-turned-sprinter will have plenty in the Territory racing community tuning in with interest because he has captured their collective imagination.

Savatoxl has made them believe that anything is possible.

And with a sentimental touch, he’s achieved southern Group 1 success in Savage’s iconic green-and-yellow colours.

“Everybody up here is talking about him. They’re getting right behind him, and it’s good for them and everyone,” Savage said.

“They’re my colours. I’ve been training for 20-odd years and I’ve trained quite a few winners here in Alice Springs and the Territory.

“Those colours we just kept on him when he went down there and all of a sudden people now realise them.”

ALSO: HorseBetting’s preview and best bets for The Goodwood 2022

Savage saw just how good Savatoxl was before he won his first career start in the Red Centre on March 24, 2018.

But it was almost out of necessity that he had to pick up the phone and ring champion South Australian trainer Tony McEvoy to take on the gelding with over $937,000 in prizemoney to his name.

“He ran out of options and was carrying too much weight. So we thought instead of just racing him in weight-for-ages races, we’ll go down and have a crack at the Balaklava Cup,” Savage said.

And he immediately showed how much he loved the big step up in class, finishing third in the 2020 version of the event.

“That was his first race down south and we thought we’d see how he’d go down there against those horses,” the Territory-based trainer said.

“We had two or three trainers in mind, and we rang Tony and he said he’d love to take him.

“So that was how it started.

“Tony had a bit to do with the Territory over the years. He rode up here years ago, and he had Desert Lashes who was trained up here by Lisa Whittle.

“So it’s not the first one he’s had that’s been successful, but it’s probably the best one.”

McEvoy also astutely noticed early on that Savatoxl would perform better over shorter distances.

Of course, he was correct, with the gelding going on to win last year’s Goodwood by two lengths.

“They just channelled his racing back to sprinting. I knew he had speed early, but I thought he was more of a speed horse over 1600m,” Savage said.

“He’s become more like a sprinter. He always had natural speed out of the gates as a two-year-old.

“But that was probably because he was up against lesser-grade horses up here.

“As he got a little bit older we just realised that early speed is good for him over 1100-1200m.”

Savage said Savatoxl’s second in the $127,250 DC McKay Stakes (1100m) last start on May 7 proved he has recovered from a quarter-crack in his hoof.

“He’s come back at the right time. That was a good run last start carrying 60kg,” Savage said.

“There wasn’t a lot of speed in it, but he’s come back better than ever.

“It was one of those little plaguing things he had, but he’s well and truly over that.

“His foot is good, so I think we’ll see a different horse now.

“Now that we’ve got him over that, I can’t see why he won’t be a force to be reckoned with down there for another year or two.”

ALSO: Morphettville betting tips for Goodwood Day 2022

Lorelle Crow rode Savatoxl for seven wins from eight starts as a two- and three-year-old, including a victory in the 2019 NT Guineas.

Indeed, he was the perfect mount for the apprentice at the time.

“He just jumped and ran and all you had to do was steer him when he was up here,” Savage said.

“She did the riding and I did the groundwork. We broke him in.

“We did a fair bit of work with him right through his early prep.”

Just like his 2021 Goodwood triumph – when he widened the gap on the chasing pack after the turn – Savage believes Savatoxl can only continue improving after overcoming his injury setback.

“(In last year’s Goodwood) he just kept stepping up didn’t he? He got better and better,” the Red Centre veteran trainer, who bought Savatoxl for just $18,000 from Alice Springs Turf Club, said.

“I think as he’s getting older he’s getting a bit more mature and picking it up a bit.

“He’s only a six-year-old. He had a bit of a hoof problem, but that was only a setback.

“This (buying an eventual Goodwood winner for a bargain) is what it’s all about.”

“I’ve had a lot of luck with that stuff.”

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