Promising Filly Makes Impressive Return

Regally bred filly Knucklebones took a winning step toward a trip away in a quest for black
type when she successfully resumed at Cranbourne this Friday evening.
The David Brideoake and Matt Jenkins-trained daughter of Savabeel was returning over
1300 metres after a three-month break and finished determinedly to get in the deciding
stride.
“We thought she was a run short and what she did showed she’s in for a very good
preparation,” Jenkins said.
“We have discussed a few plans for her, and I’d envisage that she will head to Queensland.”
The Waikato Stud-bred and raced Knucklebones was a debut winner at Mornington and the
finished runner-up at Sandown before a break and regular rider Jamie Mott was again
impressed by the three-year-old at Pakenham.
“It was a genuinely run race and she came here underdone so there is a stack of
improvement to come,” he said.
Knucklebones is a sister to G1 New Zealand Oaks winner and New Zealand Bloodstock Filly
of the Year Amarelinha.
Their dam is the unraced O’Reilly mare Hopscotch, a half-sister to the multiple Group 1
winner Metal Bender and the family of the Group 3 winners North Pacific, Sweet Ride and
Missybeel.
Hopscotch’s half-brother by Super Seth sold to Sydney trainer John O’Shea, agent James
Best and E Luca at this year’s New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale for $300,000 and the
mare is in foal to Ardrossan.

The Corner with Garry Chittick
Well, it was finally our turn. Mary and I shared in the joy of winning a race; we were there, of course. We could have settled in, in front of the TV – not driven the 50 minutes each way, but the emotions are entirely different.
Read More
Smart Love too smart this start
Smart Love (Savabeel ex Relentless Desire) made a winning return at Te Rapa on 14 September, storming home by 3.3 lengths. Racing in Garry Chittick’s colours, the four-year-old mare impressed for Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott after two solid trials.
Read More