Caulfield wrap: Savatiano upstages Group 1-winning rivals to win P.B. Lawrence Stakes
Godolphin mare Savatiano lived up to her reputation as a first-up specialist with a gritty win in the P.B. Lawrence as several Group 1 stars had their colours lowered. Caulfield wrap-up + TAB big bets.
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Joining a star cast of P.B. Lawrence Stakes winners, Savatiano is poised to chase Group 1 honours after reproducing lethal fresh form against a host of seasoned elite performers at Caulfield.
Resuming after a 12-week break, Savatiano notched her fifth first-up win as the Godolphin mare ($5) downed Sircconi ($11) and Kings Will Dream ($9), leaving a string of spring heavyweights in her wake.
Group 1 winners Arcadia Queen (fifth), Streets Of Avalon (seventh), Mystic Journey (eight), Regal Power (ninth), Aristia (10th) and Cape Of Good Hope (11th) formed the beaten brigade behind James Cummings’ emerging talent.
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Stable representative Sean Keogh said Cummings preparation strategy was devastatingly accurate.
“She wasn’t campaigned through the winter, James and the team found a nice spell then for her coming in. We saw that pattern play out really well when she won the Millie Fox and showed herself to be a top flight race mare and the same recipe worked for us today,” he said.
“That (future races) will be up to James to assess. She’s put away a serious field there off just the one public trial so she is definitely going to derive some natural benefit from the race.”
Cummings won the Lawrence in 2017 with Hartnell.
Winning jockey Mark Zahra revealed he didn’t have a Lawrence ride until midweek.
“I’m very thankful for the opportunity,” he said.
“I think it was Wednesday morning and I had a pretty light book and nothing that really jumped off the page.
“I got the late call up and very thankful for it with two horses (he also won on Viridine for Godolphin) that were fit and ready to go in nice races.”
Zahra studied Savatiano’s luckless run in the TAB Classic at Morphettville in May and a recent trial as preparation for perfect ride at Caulfield.
“Watching the trial with J-Mac (James McDonald) on, she coasted to the line. When I drew well it was just going to be a matter of getting luck at the right time and it panned out perfect,” he said.
“I was very confident at the 300 (metre mark). I was nearly going to put the whip away and just cruise past Sircconi.
“Daniel Stackhouse was roaring and I just had to give her a bit of a shake-up. I always thought I was going to get there but it harder than I thought.”
Zahra and Godolphin also combined to win the Regal Roller Stakes with Viridine.
SCROLL DOWN FOR THE CAULFIELD BIG BETS
VAIN STAKES: PLAYBOY LOOKS THE GOODS
Touted as a likely Group 1 Caulfield Guineas contender after breathtaking Group 3 Vain Stakes (1100m) success, Our Playboy is likely to be kept to sprint trips after joining a honour roll crammed with class gallopers.
Our Playboy ($12) overwhelmed Ranting ($6) and $2.60 favourite Rulership to confirm trainer Mick Price’s theory the colt is a quality speedster who should be given the chance to play to his strengths.
“I think we just need to keep him to sprinting. I don’t think he’ll get out over much of a journey,” Price said of the quirky three-year-old he co-trains with Michael Kent junior.
“We bought him to be a sprinting Sebring and that’s what he’ll do.
“He came back off the speed, too, which was good. I notice that he didn’t get cover and he did have his mouth open a little bit. Just going to keep his brain right and keep him sprinting.
“I thought he showed a bit of stamina towards the end and it was a good effort.”
Previous winners of the Vain Stakes include Haradasun, Starspangledbanner and Sepoy.
Ridden by Ben Melham, who completed a double after early success on Think We Are Due, Our Playboy has required plenty of patience.
“I’ve got to give a bit of credit to a kid called Ben Wade who rides it every morning,” Price said.
“He’s been a horse that used to want to truck up and overdo it.
“This kid has got him going really well and you just notice that he wanted to pull halfway through the race.
“It’s only 1100 metres but the kid has done a good job, the horse has done a good job and Ben Melham has done a good job.”
QUEZETTE STAKES: BELLA NO LONGER A BRIDESMAID
Shedding her maiden status in a spectacular fell swoop, Bella Nipotina has emerged as a serious spring contender after a dazzling Group 3 Quezette Stakes (1200m) victory.
Trained by Tom Dabernig and Ben Hayes, Bella Nipotina ($21) delivered on long-held potential by downing River Night ($10) and Aquagirl ($51) to deliver Lindsay Park’s first stakes success of the season.
“She has been a very unlucky horse in her races to date, she has been knocked off by some really nice horses,” Hayes said, referring to a pre-race record of three second and four fourths – often in good company.
“Off her trials it looked like she had really improved but we weren’t sure.
“We were going to go to a maiden but she trialled so well so we changed plans and we went here to go to a stakes race so it was a very good decision. It was a huge result.”
Dabernig and Hayes opted to use Melbourne Cup-winning jockey on the Pride Of Dubai filly, who is raced by owner-breeder and former Collingwood defender Michael Christian.
“Michael (Rodd) is a very good rider, we love him. He rode her very well so I think it will be very hard to get him off her going forward,” Hayes said.
“Of course we would like to use him if he keeps riding winners.
“She is a filly that does feel her runs but if she pulls up well, there are options like the Atlantic Jewel and the Cap D’antibes now which are races we’ll look at.”
CAULFIELD BIG BETS
RACE 1
The money went astray in the opening event at Caulfield with No Effort getting up at double figures.
Rated perfectly in front by Dwayne Dunn, No Effort ($9.50-$13) led and gave a good kick in the straight to hold out the heavily tried fav Sovereign Award ($1.90-$2.15) which went around 65 per cent of the total investment.
The late move for Mrs Omalley ($4.20-$3.80) went astray.
BETS: Sovereign Award $6,000 @ $2.15, $4,000 @ $2.15, $1,050 @ $2.15, $1,000 @ $2.15 MULTIPLE TIMES, $3,000 @ $2, $2,000 @ $2, $1,000 @ $2
BETS: Mrs Omalley $1,000 @ $4, $2,000 @ $3.80, $1,500 @ $3.80, $1,000 @ $3.80
RACE 2
Propelle was easily the most popular horse with TAB customers in the second event on the card.
The Ellerton & Zahra horse jumped $3.70 after getting to $4 at one stage during the early afternoon.
Flying home from just off the speed, Jamie Kah timed her run perfectly on the daughter of Smart Missile to land the money. Propelle went around with 40 per cent of the money. Mister Mogul ($5) was best tried of the others.
BETS: Propelle $1,000 @ $4, $1,800 @ $3.80, $1,000 @ $3.80, $6,500 @ $3.70, $2,000 @ $3.70, $1,000 @ $3.70 MULTIPLE TIMES
BETS: Iknewshewamine $3,000 @ $8
RACE 3
Bless Her proved to be a losing result for TAB when she took out the third event on the card.
Going around as a $5.50 chance, the Shea Eden-trained mare was the second most popular runner in the race. Jye McNeil timed his run perfectly on the daughter of Street Boss as she swept past the leader She’s A Thief ($4.60, most popular) over the final stages of the event.
BETS: Bless Her $2,500 $3,500 e/w @ $5.50/$1.90
BETS: Street Icon $2,000 x $2,300 e/w @ $5.50/$1.90
BETS: Acting $2,000 @ $11
BETS: She’s A Thief $1,000 @ $4.60 MULTIPLE TIMES
BETS: Embrace Me $1,000 @ $5 MULTIPLE TIMES
RACE 4
Favourite backers copped a shock with Plein Ciel beaten in the IVE Print Handicap (1600 metres).
Plein Ciel went around as one of the most popular horses across the country, boasting 66 per cent of the total investment.
The eight-year-old was five times as popular as second pick in the market, Exasperate ($7).
Think Were Due ($8.50-$12-$10) led and gave a good kick to knock off the favourite who made another dive late. Exasperate wound up third.
BETS: Plein Ciel $8,500 @ $1.80, $5,000 @ $1.80, $3,000 @ $1.80 TWICE, $2,000 @ $1.80, $1,500 @ $1.80, $4,707 @ $1.70
RACE 5
Our Playboy continued the run of outs for the favourites when it got up in the Vain Stakes (1100 metres) at double figure odds.
Going around as a $12 shot, Our Playboy didn’t attract much support with most of the money being focused on Rulership ($2.80-$2.40) and Hydro Star ($2.90-$4.80).
Rulership was nearly three times as popular as Hydro Star and was one of the better backed runners, in terms of money held, at Caulfield today. It was responsible for just under half the market.
BETS: Rulership $2,000 @ $2.90 TWICE, $1,400 @ $2.90, $1,200 @ $2.90, $2,000 @ $2.50 MULTIPLE TIMES, $3,300 @ $2.40, $2,000 @ $2.40 MULTIPLE TIMES
BETS: Hydro Star $3,000 @ $4.80
RACE 6
Bella Nipotina only attracted light backing.
She was specked at the each-way odds but was a big drifter on the day, going from $10 all the way out to $21 at the jump.
Most of the money here sat with Parlophone ($2.90) which held the majority of the market. In fact, she was responsible for approximately 50 per cent of the hold.
Agreeable ($8-$5.50) was a good push all day and was second most popular, however, such was the dominance in the market of the fav that she held just over a third of what Parlophone did.
BETS: Parlophone $12,000 @ $3.10, $4,500 @ $3, $1,500 @ $3, $1,000 2 $3 MULTIPLE TIMES
BETS: Agreeable $3,000 x $1,000 e/w @ $7/$2.30
RACE 7
Viridine defied a drift in betting and a strong move for a few of his rivals to win the Regal Roller Stakes (1200 metres).
The James Cummings-trained runner went $2.70 out to $3.90 but it wasn’t for lack of support. The push out in price was due to heavy backing for Age Of Chivalry ($4) and Bumper Blast ($4.20).
Viridine came three-wide approaching the turn and was too good at the finish, nosing out Age Of Chivalry despite having a harder run.
BETS: Viridine $1,000 @ $3.90, $1,000 @ $3.50
BETS: Bumper Blast $7,500 @ $4, $3,000 @ $4
RACE 8
In a very open betting fair where most of the field attracted good support, Savatiano landed some nice bets in the P.B. Lawrence Stakes (1400 metres).
Savatiano ($5-$4.60-$5) gave Godolphin and James Cummings a running double with the mare being popular all week.
She opened $7 on Wednesday.
Kings Will Dream ($12-$9.50) was the one that firmed up, especially in the final half-hour of betting.
Mystic Journey ($4.20-$6) held the most money in front of Regal Power ($6-$7) while Streets Of Avalon ($8-$6.50-$7) had admirers at the price as did Arcadia Queen ($6).
BETS: Savatiano $5,000 @ $5, $2,000 @ $5 TWICE
BETS: Regal Power $1,500 @ $7, $1,000 @ $7 TWICE
BETS: Mystic Journey $1,300 @ $5
RACE 9
Punters put their faith in William Pike to get them out of trouble in the final event on the card.
Showmanship ($1.65-$2-$1.95) went around with the most money of any runner across the country today!
Despite being a drifter from its opening price in the morning, Showmanship was heavily backed and was a popular anchor through multis too.
The Grant and Alana Williams-trained runner was seven times as popular as anything else and commanded 60 per cent of the total investment.
BETS: Showmanship $2,000 @ $2 MULTIPLE TIMES, $3,000 @ $2, $2,000 @ $1.95 MULTIPLE TIMES, $3,000 @ $1.90, $3,000 @ $1.80