A big crowd flocked to Newcastle for the Hunter Valley’s richest-ever horse race, and Savatiano (Street Cry {Ire}) rose to the occasion with a spellbinding performance.
Her dominant victory in the inaugural $1 million Pages Event Hire Hunter capped a dream day for Godolphin, who also won the G3 New Zealand Bloodstock Spring S. with Asiago (Medaglia d’Oro {USA}).
Savatiano had finished third-last and a dozen lengths adrift of Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) in the G1 Empire Rose S. in her previous start, but she won the G2 Tristarc S. two weeks before that. She had also excelled during the Queensland winter carnival with a victory in the G3 Grinders Coffee Roasters S. and a placing in the G1 Tatts Tiara.
On Saturday she was right back in top form, running her rivals into the ground in The Hunter.
After breaking from gate 14 in a 15-horse field, Savatiano slid forward to take the lead. James McDonald controlled the race from the front, then set Savatiano alight around the home turn.
She put the result beyond doubt with a pulverising turn of foot, powering more than 3l clear.
Tactical Advantage (Bel Esprit) produced a big finish from well back in the field, getting within 1l of Savatiano at the line, but it was too little, too late. Bon Amis (Bon Hoffa) also made up ground to finish another 1.25l away in third.
James McDonald
“Credit to her – she had to do it the hard way,” McDonald said. “She jumped well from her gate, and I thought I might be able to slot in somewhere. But she just went straight to the front and controlled the race from there.
“She never felt like being beaten from about the 450. She isn’t even blowing a candle out afterwards. She’s a marvel. She could go around again.
"She isn’t even blowing a candle out afterwards. She’s a marvel. She could go around again. " - James McDonald
“It’s been a great day for Godolphin. The horses are trained to the minute, turned out in impeccable order, and they have the breeding to back them up as well. They tick a lot of boxes.
"Savatiano has now had 27 starts for eight wins, 11 placings and more than $1.42 million in prize-money. "
“It was a good ride – from the 1000 to the 600, he was able to back off the speed nicely and give her a chance,” said Darren Beadman, assistant to trainer James Cummings.
John Sunderland, James McDonald and Darren Beadman
“She relaxed nicely and then really scooted away from them. This is a very deserving win for her. Her win in the Tristarc was outstanding, and then last time she had a wide run with no cover. Dropping back to 1300 metres from the mile was also to her advantage.
“She deserves a race of this calibre on her resume.
“She’s quite electrifying and has pure speed. Not a lot of horses can sustain that gallop, but she’s able to.”
A Darley homebred, Savatiano is a half-sister to Athiri (Lonhro), who placed in last season’s G2 Blue Diamond Prelude, G3 Kindergarten S., G3 Magic Night S. and Listed Cap d’Antibes S. and finished fourth in the G1 Blue Diamond.
Second dam Star Shiraz (Sequalo) won the G1 QTC Sires’ Produce S. and placed in the G1 Coolmore Classic and T.J. Smith Classic.
Savatiano
The winning connections sang the praises of Saturday’s inaugural stand-alone Hunter meeting, which drew a crowd of more than 6,000.
“It's not often you can come up to Newcastle on a Saturday and it's a stand-alone meeting but they've got the crowd, they've got a good response from the public and the trainers have supported it,” Beadman said.
McDonald was also highly impressed by the meeting’s debut.
“In time, I think this is going to be a great race,” he said. “Credit to everyone involved. "
“In time, I think this is going to be a great race... Credit to everyone involved. " - James McDonald
“Look at the turnout – it feels like a really big day, and that’s what it is. It’s great to be able to win the first running of a race like this.”
Local trainer Kris Lees had mixed results in the inaugural Hunter, finishing second with Tactical Advantage but filling three of the last four placings with Graff (Star Witness), Invincible Gem (I Am Invincible) and Le Romain (Hard Spun {USA}).
Le Romain was found to have bled from both nostrils and incurred an automatic three-month ban, while Graff produced a head-scratching performance.
“I said publicly I thought Graff was my best chance,” Lees said. “I expected him to race up to his best but he was very disappointing.”
