Savvy Nature makes considerable impression with tidy win in the Vase at Moonee Valley

SAVVY Nature is on target to atone for the defeat of his sire Savabeel when he tries to dent the Darley juggernaut in next Saturday’s Victoria Derby.

Cox Plate

SAVVY Nature is on target to atone for the defeat of his sire Savabeel when he tries to dent the Darley juggernaut in next Saturday’s Victoria Derby.

The John O’Shea-trained gelding settled at the rear of the field and rounded his rivals up with ease to claim the Group 2 Mitchelton Wines Vase (2040m) at Moonee Valley yesterday.

It followed two placings – behind Darley’s Complacent, who looms as the main stumbling block again next week.

Owner Max Whitby also raced Savabeel and is keen to atone for that horse’s defeat at the hands of Plastered in the 2004 Derby.

“I’m so proud of Savabeel and to have this horse is very exciting,” Whitby said.

Savabeel bypassed the 2004 Vase, instead winning the Cox Plate on the same day.

He was outstayed by Plastered a week later but O’Shea does not fear Savvy Nature’s ability to cope with the 2500m.

“He’s by Savabeel from a Carnegie mare,” O’Shea said.

“He relaxed beautifully today and that will help him."

Five Vase winners have backed up to win the Derby, with Efficient the most recent in 2006.

Jockey James McDonald feared in the run he was set to be beaten on another hotpot in this race.

“He did a lot wrong because he hung quite badly and he didn’t get around the course all that well and I thought it was deja vu all over again with Dundeel (runner-up to Super Cool in 2012) as a three-year-old, so lucky I was on a good horse to get away with it,” he said.