Cover image courtesy of Peter Rubery (Race Images)
Kiwi raider Savaglee ready to rumble in Australian Guineas bout
Pam Gerard-trained Savaglee (NZ) (Savabeel) crossed the Tasman on Wednesday to take a swing at Australia’s best miler 3-year-olds when he lines up for the G1 Australian Guineas at Flemington this Saturday. The Oaks Stud-owned colt has had a stellar racing season so far, capturing the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas amongst five wins from seven starts as a 3-year-old.
“He (Savaglee) seems to have handled the trip across really well,” Gerard told Loveracing.nz on Friday. “He’s done a fair bit of travelling this season, going to Hawke’s Bay and Christchurch and Wellington, and he seems to enjoy it. He looks bright and well this morning and I think we’re on track.
“I can’t wait to see him run 1600 metres around that big track at Flemington.”
“I can’t wait to see him (Savaglee) run 1600 metres around that big track at Flemington.” - Pam Gerard
Expat Kiwi Michael Dee takes the reins on Saturday, and Savaglee will have to contend with some of the southern states’ heavyweights, including Andrew Gluyas’ G1 Victoria Derby winner Goldrush Guru (American Pharaoh {USA}), who has warmed up for this task with a last start fourth in the G3 CS Hayes Stakes, and G2 Autumn Stakes winner Angel Capital (Harry Angel {Ire}) will leave the barriers in the Yulong investments colours for the first time.
Trainer Clinton McDonald is bullish about how the Harry Angel (Ire) colt is shaping up ahead of his Guineas tilt, telling Victoria Racing Club earlier this week that the team felt he was “a Group 1 horse from the beginning”.
The field is filled out with young trainer Dominic Sutton taking another swing at the top level with G1 Caulfield Guineas runner-up Feroce (NZ) (Super Seth), and classy Dundeel (NZ) colts Red Aces and Henlein.
Pam Gerard | Image courtesy of Ballymore
A win in Flemington would be a great comfort for Gerard, who trained in partnership with the late Mike Moroney until the end of last season when Moroney’s health forced him to relinquish his New Zealand training license. The racing world woke up in mourning on Thursday after the trainer passed in his sleep overnight.
“It’s a huge loss,” Gerard told Loveracing.nz. “He was a fantastic man, and I was so lucky to work alongside him and have the great partnership with him that we enjoyed over the last 10 years or so. I’m going to miss him a lot. The Guineas isn’t going to be an easy race on Saturday, but I’d love to see Savaglee run a really big race in Mike’s honour.”
Moroney’s training partner Glen Thompson will also saddle a runner in the Guineas; emerging The Autumn Sun gelding Plymouth, who was a last start second in the Autumn Stakes.
Head to head: Unladylike behaviour anticipated for the Surround
Lady Shenandoah vs Lady Of Camelot
It’s Lady Shenandoah (Snitzel) versus Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon) in the G1 Surround Stakes on Saturday at Royal Randwick, and Lady Of Camelot has a few bones to pick with the lightly-raced Snitzel filly from the Chris Waller stable. Last time they met in the G2 Light Fingers Stakes, Lady Shenandoah thrashed the field while putting in what looked like minimal effort, sailing past Tulloch Lodge’s G1 Golden Slipper Stakes winner to clinch the win by 1.18l.
Lady of Camelot will be looking to shake the Slipper curse; in seven starts since her Slipper victory, she has been a consistent bridesmaid with three seconds and two thirds, plus a fourth in the G1 Everest, but that elusive next win would boost her credentials even further.
Lady Of Camelot and Lady of Shenandoah at the G2 Light Finger Stakes | Image courtesy of Sportpix
“She’s a very good filly and I don’t think anyone should underestimate how good she is,” co-trainer Gai Waterhouse told Racing NSW earlier in the week. The blinkers have come off as the filly moves up to 1400 metres. “She did all the running the other day, the other very good filly Lady Shenandoah was able to take the sit and just pounce on her at the end. But it (will be) a different run race over the seven furlongs.”
Star Waller filly Lady Shenandoah hasn’t been beaten since May last year and was a devastating 3.17l winner of the G1 Flight Stakes over a mile at just her fourth lifetime start in the spring. A combination of drawing barrier three and with James McDonald back on board which Zac Lloyd serves a suspension suggests she will be tough to beat.
“She (Lady of Camelot) did all the running the other day, the other very good filly Lady Shenandoah was able to take the sit and just pounce on her at the end. But it (will be) a different run race over the seven furlongs.” - Gai Waterhouse
“She drew well and her first-up run was brilliant,” Waller said. “She’s trained on well, the distance is not a problem, and she’ll be very hard to beat.”
When prodded by the Sydney Morning Herald to compare her to the mighty Winx (Street Cry {Ire}), Waller was characteristically diplomatic, “they are all different, but one thing I’ll say about this horse is (that) she wasn’t heavily raced as a 2-year-old. She had two starts, then she’s had three starts (as a 3-year-old) and won all of them.
“I can see her getting up to a mile. (We are) just keeping things fairly open, but I doubt we’ll stretch her out too far, because she’s just showing so much brilliance.”
Can Lady Of Camelot break Lady Shenandoah’s winning streak? Only Saturday can tell.
“I can see her (Lady Shenandoah) getting up to a mile. (We are) just keeping things fairly open, but I doubt we’ll stretch her out too far, because she’s just showing so much brilliance.” - Chris Waller
Neasham and Archibald team poised to strike across three states
Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald will send out a huge team of runners on Saturday across three states; before scratchings, six runners in Queensland, four will head down to Flemington, and 13 are entered across New South Wales. They have acceptors for five of the six stakes races taking place at Randwick, including 2-year-old colts Peleus (Pariah) and Hillier (Zoustar) who face off in the G2 Skyline Stakes.
Amelia’s Jewel (Siyouni {Fr}) will make her race day return in the G2 Guy Walter Stakes, and Neasham believes the Group 2 event will be the perfect jumping-off point for Group 1 goals later in the preparation.
“I’m really happy with her, she’s trialled up well and looks great,’’ she told RacingNSW. “We’ll get the first run out of the way, we’ve obviously got the Coolmore Classic a couple of weeks later as a possibility. There’s the Queen Of The Turf later on in the carnival as well, so there’s quite a few nice races coming up for her.”
Amelia's Jewel | Image courtesy of Sportpix
The 5-year-old mare is the highest rated runner in the 1400-metre race, with only Olentia (Zoustar) and West Australian raider Alsephina (Star Turn) being the only other runners with triple digit benchmarks. She has drawn barrier eight, but in a nine-horse field, she shouldn’t get pushed out of the action.
Listed winners Lilac (Justify {USA}), third last start in Lady Shenandoah’s Light Fingers, and the relatively unexposed Castanya (Capitalist) line up for a first shot at a Group 1 in the Surround Stakes, where they will have to meet the top chances on equal weight terms.
“It was a brave run from Lilac (in the Light Fingers),” Neasham said. “It was the logical step to go two weeks into this. It’s been the target for her and she makes her own luck up on speed.
Annabel Neasham | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“Castanya has had a long while off the scene. I thought she was as good as anything through the line in the Light Fingers (when finishing eighth), so she’s going to really suit being up in trip.”
Shaggy bidding to continue his unbeaten streak
Kooringal Stud and Allan Kehoe have fended off numerous offers over the last few weeks for their unbeaten 2-year-old Shaggy (Sandbar) after he burst into the Slipper picture, and Saturday promises another opportunity to bring home the cash to cover the late entry fee into the $5 million race when he lines up for the G2 Skyline Stakes. His $160,000 Pierro Plate victory, where he tore away from Godolphin’s Comedy (Snitzel) had connections really thinking about the big picture.
Adam Hyeronimus retains the ride after the Pierro, and is enjoying being part of the story, telling Racing NSW, “it’s very exciting for the group of owners, and it shows other people (that) there is a dream there for people that want to race for the riches of 2-year-old racing.”
Kehoe, who normally rides his own horses for track work, has been out of the saddle for over a week following a fall from another horse, but has had the assistance of jockeys Aaron Bullock and Anna Roper to keep the gelding ticking over.
Shaggy | Image courtesy of Sportpix
“We have the late nomination (for the Slipper) all sorted if he goes well this week,” Kehoe said to Racenet. “If he can run a good race, win or finish top three, and pulls up well, we will aim at the Slipper and then give him a good rest.”
“Nothing has changed with Shaggy's attitude, he's a very happy horse. I don't think Saturday's race looks any tougher than the other day. If he turns up I think they will know he is in it.”
Others in the Skyline may beg to differ; James Cummings has been forthright to the media over the last week that Comedy has improved from the Pierro run, and Kris Lees believes that R. Listed Inglis Millennium winner Rivellino (Too Darn Hot {GB}) is primed to continue his unbeaten streak. Also in the mix is Michael Freedman-trained Valedictorian (Zoustar), who hasn’t been seen since running seventh in the G3 Breeder’s Plate, and the intriguing debutante Nielsen Park (Zoustar) from the Anthony and Sam Freedman stable, who was very flash when zooming home into third at his most recent trial.
Rivellino | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Storm Boy (Justify {USA}) won this race last year on his way to third place in the Slipper, and curiously the Tulloch Lodge team have no entrants this year. Their hopes hang on Bellazaine (Zousain) in the G2 Sweet Embrace Stakes to repeat her performance from the Listed Lonhro Plate, where she will clash with Memo (Capitalist), who is bidding for her maiden win after four stakes placings.
Down under debut for future French stallion
High class import Zarakem (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) will have his first Southern Hemisphere start on Saturday when he lines up for Ciaron Maher in the G1 Verry Elleegant Stakes at Randwick. The deal, brokered by Astute Bloodstock’s Louis Le Metayer, was announced in mid December to bring the 5-year-old entire south to race through 2025 before he enters stud in 2026 at Haras d’Etreham. After completing quarantine on arrival, he spent the summer at Maher’s Bong Bong Farm property.
A winner of six of his 14 starts, including five in succession, Zarakem is raced by Sofiane Benaroussi and Haras d'Etreham proprietor Nicolas du Chambure. He is a winner of two Listed contests and took home the G2 Prix d’Harcourt at Longchamp in his 4-year-old year, before running second by 0.8l to Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the G1 Prince Of Wales Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Zarakem (Fr) | Image courtesy of NBB Racing
The second foal from unraced Mastercraftsman (Ire) mare Harem Mistress (Ire), he is closely related to numerous stakes winners, including G2 Champions Juvenile Stakes winner and Hong Kong performer Atomic Beauty (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}).
Off the back of two trials - where most recently he was third behind Pericles (Street Boss {USA}) and next start winner Ducasse (Trapeze Artist) - Zarakem will have to contend with much of the field from the G2 Apollo Stakes, including winner Fangirl (Sebring), Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock) as she approaches her preferable distances, and dual Group 1-winning Ceolwulf (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}). Given he has never won a race shorter than 2000 metres, this will likely be a warm up for the valuable entire before he gets out in distance.
