Jockey Michael Dee excited to ride Savaglee in quest for third Group 1 Australian Guineas in five years

Newly-minted dual Blue Diamond Stakes-winning jockey Michael Dee has sights on a third Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) in five years on Saturday at Flemington.

New Zealand raider Savaglee in full flight. Photo: Race Images South

Newly-minted dual Blue Diamond Stakes-winning jockey Michael Dee has sights on a third Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) in five years on Saturday at Flemington.

Dee, who piloted Devil Night to victory at Caulfield on Saturday, his second Blue Diamond in three years after Little Brose (2023), will partner New Zealand Group 1 winner Savaglee on Saturday.

Rising star Savaglee, prepared by Matamata trainer Pam Gerard, ran third behind Australian raiders Here To Shock and Bosustow last start in a 1400m Group 1 at Te Rapa.

The standout NZ three-year-old colt Savaglee has won seven of 14 starts including the Group 1 NZ 2000 Guineas (1600m) last campaign.

The son of Savabeel resumed with victory in the Group 2 Levin Classic (1400m) at Trentham before taking on the older horses at weight-for-age last start.

“Excited to get on,” the 14-time Group 1-winner Dee said.

“The horse has got a good chance and he hasn’t done much wrong.

“It was a good run against the older horses the other day.”

The best horse won. The cream of the crop. In the Levin Classic from @Racing_at_RACE, it is Savaglee.
Stars shine the brightest. ⭐️⭐️
Ridden by Sam Spratt and trained by Pam Gerard.
The 3 year old colt is by Savabeel (@WaikatoStud) #NZRacing#TracksidePremierpic.twitter.com/eksWM0A9R3

— Trackside NZ (@TracksideNZ) January 11, 2025

Savaglee, rated $11 for the Australian Guineas, is set to arrive in Melbourne midweek.

Angel Capital is $3.50 favourite for the Australian Guineas from Group 3 CS Hayes winner Sepals ($5.50) and Sydney raider Point And Shoot ($8) in the pre-nominations market.

Dee has won the Flemington feature previously with Kiwi star Legarto (2023) and Lunar Fox (2021), the longest-priced Australian Group 1 winner ever at 300-1.

Legarto, trained by Ken and Bev Kelso, boasted “similar form lines” to Savaglee at the time.

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“He won the 2000 Guineas, she won the 1000 Guineas,” Dee said.

“It’s probably a bit similar to when she came over, it was hard to line up the formlines.

“We were always pretty confident then the form lines are going to stack up and I don’t see why they shouldn’t stack up this time.”

An Australian Group 1 success for Gerard would be “special” for Dee, as the Kiwi expat lived with the talented trainer for three months as an apprentice more than a decade ago.

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“She was basically a mum to me,” Dee said.

“It’d be awesome, any Group 1 is good, but it would be even more special for another Kiwi connection if I was able to land it.”

Gerard returned to training in her own right last year after nine seasons leading the NZ arm of Melbourne Cup-winner Michael Moroney’s trans-Tasman Ballymore Stables.

Dee has a lucrative fortnight ahead with the Australian Guineas and potential trip home to ride Lindsay Park-trained Evaporate in the $3.5 NZB The Kiwi new slot race.

Originally published as Jockey Michael Dee excited to ride Savaglee in quest for third Group 1 Australian Guineas in five years