Another Savvy effort at Riccarton

Savabeel
Savabeel

Oso Savvy was unfortunately balloted out of the G3 New Zealand Cup, but the son of Savabeel earned connections a tidy degree of compensation with victory on the Riccarton undercard on Saturday.

Prepared by part-owner John Wheeler, the six-year-old had won over 2500 metres on Wednesday and successfully backed up to down his rivals over the lesser 2000 metre trip under 60.5kg.

The Waikato Stud-bred Oso Savvy dropped back to midfield from his wide gate before improving wide across the top and finished relentlessly to complete a double for the meeting with authority.

“It’s been a fantastic week and he came through his last run terrifically well,” Wheeler said.

“If there was pace on I thought he would win again.”

Winning rider Daniel Stackhouse said he never had any concerns during the race and Oso Savvy proved far superior.

“He got away well and was just cruising. He flowed into it nicely and was in a race of his own,” he said.

Oso Savvy was purchased for A$170,000 by Enigma Farm at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale from Maluka Thoroughbreds’ draft before Stephen Marsh secured him for $240,000 at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready to Run Sale from Riversley Park.

He was a dual winner for the Cambridge trainer before relocating to Wheeler’s New Plymouth stable and has now added a further two victories to his record.

Oso Savvy is a son of the late Pins mare Heyday, who is from the family of the Group One winners
Legs, Guyno and Sixty Seconds.

https://twitter.com/WaikatoStud/status/1591219433674280961?s=20&t=tbMcJTfs_4_G6suqAaWDDA

Recent News
9 July 2026

Oilman’s stud stake could change course of NZ breeding

Eighteen months ago, Texas oilman Nelson Bunker Hunt walked through the lush Waikato pasture of Matamata’s Balcarres Stud and announced he wanted some just like it for his own.

Today he has-360 acres about a mile down the road which has been transformed from a dairy farm to one of New Zealand’s leading horse and cattle breeding establishments.

Read More
9 July 2026

WS graduate Honour Roll out to add stakes success at Otaki

Waikato Stud will be cheering on one of its promising graduates on Friday when Honour Roll contests the Listed John Turkington Forestry Castletown Stakes (1200m) at Otaki. The WS-bred son of the late Champion sire …

Read More