Derby hope predator dazzles on debut

31 December 2015

The Mark Chittick-bred Predator opened his Gr 1 New Zealand Derby campaign in dominant fashion at Taupo yesterday. The highly-regarded son of Savabeel made his first appearance from the stable of Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young a memorable one with a dashing debut victory.

Sent out a short-priced favourite after two trial placings, the three-year-old went straight to the front and had the race won a long way out. He was travelling comfortably across the top and bolted away in the straight to win by a wide margin.

“It’s nice to see him do it so easily,” Young said. “He’s going to be a better autumn horse and he is on a Derby path. We might look at the mile race on Karaka Million night, we’ll see how he comes through this first.”

Purchased for $75,000 out of WS’s 2014 draft to Karaka, Predator is out of the Listed Warstep Stakes winner Bird (Danasinga). “He’s by Savabeel so he’s definitely going to get over a trip,” Young said.

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WS-bred On The Lash scores at Sha Tin

Twenty-four hours following the final WS Cox Plate meeting run on the Moonee Valley track of old before it shuts for two years to make way for a new precinct, the race’s 2004 winner, Savabeel, continued his roll of runners, and this time it was via five-year-old On The Lash (ex Candelabra) at Sha Tin.