Trans-Tasman Standouts Head Karaka Millions 3YO Order of Entry

Outstanding spring campaigns on opposite sides of the Tasman have propelled Bellatrix Star (Star Witness) and Savaglee (NZ) (Savabeel) to the top of the order of entry for the $1.5m TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m).

Both of that pair contested the $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) in January of this year, with Bellatrix Star finishing fourth and Savaglee just behind her in fifth. They have both gone on to scale much greater heights this spring.

Bellatrix Star has come of age over the last couple of months in Melbourne, stringing together consecutive victories in the Listed Cap D’Antibes Stakes (1100m), Group Three Scarborough Stakes (1200m) and against older horses in the Group Two Schillaci Stakes (1100m). She then tackled one of Australia’s strongest three-year-old races and produced a career-best effort to run second to Switzerland (Snitzel) in the A$2m Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington.

Bought by David Ellis and Fortuna Racing for $80,000 from Book 1 of Karaka 2023, Bellatrix Star has now had 11 starts for five wins, three placings and more than A$1m in stakes. The Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-trained filly’s current rating of 96 places her at the top of the Karaka Millions 3YO order of entry.

Second spot on the table belongs to the 84-rated Savaglee, who has himself had a breakthrough campaign this spring. The Savabeel colt won twice from seven starts as a two-year-old including the Group Three Matamata Slipper (1200m), but he has soared to a new level as a three-year-old with four wins and a placing from five starts.

A first-up winner at Taupo in August, Savaglee was a strong-finishing second in the Listed El Roca-Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m) at Hastings in his second start of the season. He never looked back from there, producing increasingly impressive performances to win the Group Two Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m), Group Two Sarten Memorial (1400m) and Group One New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) in his next three starts.

Savaglee was bought by The Oaks Stud for $400,000 from Book 1 of Karaka 2023. His 12-race career has now produced six wins, two placings and $744,975 in stakes. He is trained by Pam Gerard at Matamata.

The TAB’s fixed-odds market for the Karaka Millions 3YO currently has Savaglee as a $4 favourite ahead of the lightly raced Damask Rose (NZ) (Savabeel) at $12. Age Of Discovery (NZ) (Savabeel), Bellatrix Star, Kiwi Skyhawk (NZ) (Contributer) and Karaka Millions 2YO heroine Velocious (Written Tycoon) share third favouritism at $14.

The TAB Karaka Millions 3YO is part of a stellar six-race twilight meeting at Ellerslie on January 25, which sets the scene for a spectacular week of Karaka 2025 selling action.