Gutsy Guineas Win for Savaglee (NZ)

Karaka graduate Savaglee (NZ) (Savabeel) has already shown stacks of class as a two-year-old and early three-year-old, but Wednesday’s $175,000 Group Two AHD Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) at Matamata proved that he also has plenty of courage to call on in a hard-fought finish.

The quality colt was a $400,000 purchase by The Oaks Stud from the Book 1 draft of breeders Waikato Stud at Karaka 2023. His 10-race career has produced four wins, two placings and $284,975 in stakes.

Savaglee made a scintillating start last spring with a four-length romp on debut at Trentham. He later added the Group Three Matamata Slipper (1200m) along with a close fourth in the Group One Sistema Stakes (1200m) and fifth in the $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m).

A dominant first-up victory at Taupo in August suggested Savaglee had come back bigger and better at three, and he provided further evidence of that with a flying finish into second in the Listed El Roca-Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m) at Hastings on September 7.

Wednesday’s Hawke’s Bay Guineas was the next big step in his spring campaign, and he passed that test in courageous style.

Caught three wide throughout the race, Savaglee and jockey Sam Spratt still loomed ominously on the outside of fellow Karaka graduates So Naive (NZ) (U S Navy Flag) and Poetic Champion (NZ) (Super Seth) at the top of the home straight.

Those two rivals rose to meet his challenge, and they were later joined by the filly Captured By Love (Written Tycoon) in a desperate scramble to the finish. But Savaglee would not be denied, snatching victory by a nose from So Naive.

“That was a tough effort,” Spratt said. “He got posted wide, but I opted to cuddle him up, because they would have kicked forward with me if I pushed forward. That would have been even worse. I had to take a breather and embrace the three-wide train.

“He was extra excited to be here. The whole way up the straight, he was trying to lie on the other horse, Poetic Champion, a little bit. I think he might have been on the fresh side after the races being called off last Saturday. It was a tough win.

“I think there is huge improvement in him, and I think he just proved that. He is definitely going to see the mile out, he is just as tough as nails.”

Savaglee is trained locally by Pam Gerard, who was relieved to come away with the win on Wednesday.

“It looked like the other horse beat us by a neck or so, but we were on an angle in the stand,” Gerard said. “I’ll take it, because those sorts of finishes often don’t go our way.

“He was a little bit fresh today, he did a lot wrong. He got posted three wide, and Sam said he was colty around at the gates.

“He has got a really good turn of foot and he didn’t quite have that today, so he has done it tough but he has got the job done.

“I think he is better when he’s away from his home track. We’re building up towards the 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton next month, and we want that Group One.”

Runner-up So Naive was a $37,500 purchase from Book 2 of Karaka 2023. He has had six starts for three wins, a second and $165,375.

Vendor	Waikato Stud Ltd
Purchaser	The Oaks Stud (Waikato)
Breeding	Savabeel – Glee
Sale	Lot 210, Karaka 2023 Book 1, $400,000
Bred by	Waikato Stud Ltd