Filly turns in golden performance

 

WS graduate Gold Fever boosted her Group One prospects on Saturday when she kept it in the family with her victory in the Gr.2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes. The daughter of Savabeel emulated the effort of her half-sister Gold Rush, who claimed the 2016 edition of the feature.

Gold Fever will now head to Auckland in a fortnight’s time for the Sistema Stakes. “She’s holding her form really well,” said Jamie Richards, who trains in partnership with Stephen Autridge. “The Savabeels are really tough and she’s a filly with attitude and come race day she’s very hard to get past.”

She settled close to the pace and one off the fence before she wound up powerfully in the closing 250 metres under stable rider Opie Bosson. “She travelled nicely and the fast pace helped,” he said. “She’s a tough little filly, not the easiest to ride, and all credit to Cameron Lammas, who has educated her and made my job a lot easier.”

Gold Fever was purchased by Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis out of WS’s 2016 Magic Millions draft for $A110,000. Also a half-sister to the Listed Gimcrack Stakes winner Calverlite, she is from the Oratorio mare Gold Rocks who hails from the family of the Australian Group Two winner and Group One performer Waikikamukau.