Savatiano wins Expressway Stakes, Group 1 target next on mare’s agenda

Savatiano just might secure that elusive Group 1 win yet.

The talented Godolphin mare made a statement at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday that she still has what it takes to win at racing’s highest level.

She made winning the Group 2 $200,000 Expressway Stakes (1200m) look routine, leading throughout to score effortlessly.

This was Savatiano’s fifth Group 2 win of her career and the third this season after her spring carnival successes in the Lawrence Stakes and Hot Danish Stakes.

Savatiano in style! Beautiful ride from @HugeBowman to take out the Expressway Stakes for @godolphin pic.twitter.com/2mth0ucUgG

The enduring six-year-old, a daughter of Winx’s sire Street Cry, is the oldest mare in trainer James Cummings stable and almost certainly in her final season of racing. A Group 1 win would cap an outstanding career that has already yielded 12 wins from 37 starts and more than $2.1 million prizemoney.

“Credit has to go to the boys to have confidence in her to keep her in training for another season,’’ trainer James Cummings said.

“She might be capable of repaying the faith. I’d like to think she will be hard to beat in the Canterbury Stakes (Group 1, Randwick, March 6).’’

Cummings said it was unlikely Savatiano would race again before the Canterbury Stakes as she is lethal fresh, as she demonstrated again winning the Expressway Stakes as $2.10 favourite by two lengths.

Savatiano led throughout and easily held off Kolding ($8.50) with Emeralds ($26) working home nicely for third, 1½ lengths further back.

Savatiano led all the way in the Expressway Stakes. Picture: Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images

The Expressway is always a reliable guide to the autumn carnival majors. Since 2000, nine winners of the weight-for-age sprint have trained on to win at Group 1 level later in the autumn – Alizee (2019), Trapeze Artist (2018), Appearance (2014), Rangirangdoo (2010), Mentality (2007), Court’s In Session (2005), Lonhro (2003), Tie The Knot (2001) and Mr Innocent (2000).

When Hall of Fame jockey Hugh Bowman was asked if he felt Savatiano has the ability to win at Group 1 level, his reply was succinct: “I certainly do.’’

Bowman won his second Expressway Stakes, 16 years after scoring on Court’s In Session (2005) and said Savatiano ‘’controlled the race” from the front.

“There wasn’t a lot of pressure in today’s race,’’ Bowman said.

“I haven’t ridden her in a race before but going through (her replays) she copes with pressure and the reason she does that is she doesn’t spend any energy whatsoever in the run.

“Even though I had it as easily as I did in the first quarter, I made her switch on at the 600m mark because I thought I’d take the race by the scruff of the neck instead of waiting for the pressure to come.

Hugh Bowman is confident Savatiano has the ability to snare a Group 1 race. Picture: Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images

“Once I switched her on and got her up onto the bridle she just picked up. From the 350m I asked her to stretch out and stretch out she did.”

Bowman said the race was virtually “gifted” to Savatiano once the mare had an uncontested lead.

“The only other pace was obviously Mizzy and when Reagan (Bayliss) decided not to press on, we really did control it,’’ Bowman said.

“This was a race that really set up well for her. Congratulations to the Godolphin team, I feel like I was just gifted a winner here today. She has come back in fine form and she is only going to improve with today’s performance.”

Cummings said Savatiano showed her versatility to take up the leader’s role.

“When we have the right horse with the speed early and is strong enough we are quite happy to lead in races,’’ he said.

“She’s fit the bill. She was nice and forward first up and this looked a very good race for her.

“The wet track probably took some of the class out of the race with the scratching of the 3yo (Ole Kirk) but I think he would have needed to be pretty good today to beat Savatiano.’’

Kolding isn’t known for his ability to handle wet tracks so his first-up effort to beat all but Savatiano pleased trainer Chris Waller.

James McDonald, rider of Kolding, said; “It was a great return, he’s in for a good campaign.’’

Trainer John Sargent was enthusiastic about autumn carnival plans for Emeralds after her fast finishing third.

“She has run really well, I’m very happy with her effort,’’ Sargent said. “She will have a month between runs and go to the Guy Walter Stakes then the Coolmore Classic.’’

AT THE TRACK

Matt Jones

RECKLESS ACT

Surely the idiot that ran onto the track at Trentham races on Saturday gets a life ban from all tracks in New Zealand. But we’d go one further and say Australian authorities need to get on the phone to their Kiwi colleagues and find out who he is and ban him from our tracks too just in case he ever visits. He really should be in jail. He also appears to be wearing a bumbag across his chest. Enough said.

An idiot punter has avoided a horrific race tragedy when he rushed onto the track in front of a pack of charging horses https://t.co/PmIs1xvvZz @MitchRWCohen pic.twitter.com/VKveYAGmG0

STRONG FORM

James Cummings and his Godolphin team were naturally all smiles after Zethus won the Group 3 Canonbury Stakes at Rosehill but there was a slight smirk on the face of Michael Hawkes after the race. That’s because his top colt Remarque beat it last start. “It’s good to see. Our boke has only had one start for one win so to see a horse he’s beat come out and win is a great effort,” he said. “There’s a long way to go. Things will change from week to week but we couldn’t be happier with our bloke.” The horse they all have to beat in the Golden Slipper however is Enthaar, who won again with ease in Melbourne, and firmed in from $6 to $4.50 for the big one in March.

CAN’T BEAT SPEED

Gary Portelli was looking at the next batch of young horses ready to be sold during the week and the landscape of Australian racing dictates the way he buys. “Look at the program each Saturday. There’s one race over 2000m and the rest are from 1000m up to 1600m, so why bother with stayers?,” he said. “There’s only one Melbourne Cup each year. Until they change programming it’s probably best to stick to speed horses.” And it’s getting harder and harder to find a good horse that no one else sees. “I’m looking at yearlings before they get to the sale yard and there’s 20 others here looking also so the horse that used to slip through the cracks doesn’t so easily anymore,” Portelli said. “A lot of mares throw expensive foals that don’t win anything above midweek prizemoney so you’ve got to be careful.”

MELODY ON SONG

Kiwi star Melody Belle won her 13th Group 1 on Saturday to tie the record for most major wins by a New Zealand-trained horse. She’s tied with Sunline and that number is all they have in common. No disrespect to Melody Belle, but she hasn’t won two Doncasters, two Cox Plates, two All Aged Stakes, two Coolmore Classics and a Hong Kong Mile like the champion mare did in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Since 1995 Sunline is one of only three legitimate champions this writer has seen along with Black Caviar and Winx.

Jason Collett was never worried aboard Mallory. Picture: Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images

NOT SO EASY

In typical Jason Collett fashion, he returned to scale after winning the Widden Stakes on Mallory and told Gerald Ryan “that was easy” but Ryan, like many punters, was on the edge of his seat. “It wasn’t easy for me,” he replied.

DOUBT STRIKES AGAIN

Mallory’s Widden Stakes win was her sire Not A Single Doubt’s 75th individual Stakes winner and his 697th winner overall. Not A Single Doubt’s progeny have won a Golden Slipper (Farnan) and multiple Blue Diamonds as well as the 2020 Everest with Classique Legend. While Mallory set out her Slipper credentials yesterday, she is in fact bred to win a classic. Her grand-dam is Nebraska Tornado who won the French Oaks and covered Prix du Moulin two years prior to our own Starcraft who also spent time at Arrowfield roster.

SMART THINKING

Kathy O’Hara relied on the fact Highway winner If You Think So was by So You Think in letting him stride through the wet ground on Saturday. But he’s also a half to Ortensia.

COSTLY MISS

Tommy Berry was charged for not riding out Loafing in the Highway race when it ran seventh. Chief steward Marc Van Gestel felt he could’ve finished a place better and asked Berry if he had any excuse. “It was a pick up ride so I was doing them a favour,” Berry said. He was fined $300 for the offence and said. “So I lost money” to which Van Gestel replied. “If you rode it out to the finish you would’ve made $200”.

Tommy Berry was fined $300 for not riding out Loafing in the Highway Handicap. Picture: Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images

APPRENTICE ACADEMY

Ron Quinton recently called for an Apprentices Academy to be set up, similar to other countries and Irish apprentice Robbie Dolan confirmed programs like them work. “Out of the 32 people who were on my apprentice school course about 80 per cent still work in the racing,” he said.

FATHER TIME

Edward Cummings became a father this week. Congratulations.

MIXED MESSAGES

Tom Sherry said he was told to have Toro Toro in a midfield spot but connections said they told him just to have him where he’s comfortable. Stewards felt Sherry should’ve went forward considering he was three-deep with no cover but he didn’t do that due to “miscommunication with instructions” according to Marc Van Gestel who reminded Toro Toro’s connections that instructions needed to be clearer. Trainer Stephen Jones was not at the track on the day. Sherry was adamant he was told to be midfield.

CLOSE CALLS

Not many jockeys can say they had a good meeting without riding a winner but Rachel King rode better than anyone at Canterbury on Friday night only to run second six times from seven rides. The name of the game is winning, but it’s hard to be harsh on her achievements.

HORSES TO FOLLOW: Kolding (another good prep ahead) Northuldra (good under the circumstances) Home Affairs (deserves another go)

ONES TO SACK: Cognac (very poor) Word For Word (they keep backing her)

RIDE OF THE DAY: Josh Parr on Canasta (went at the right time)

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “They let the winner get away with it, being down in the weights on a wet track,” said Tash Burleigh after Al Mah Haha went down as a heavy favourite.

Originally published asKeep the faith: Savatiano within reach of major triumph

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