Favourite Savaria thriving ahead of Oaks test

13 March 2015

The manner in which Savabeel filly Savaria closed off at Hastings last time out has further boosted Roydon Bergerson’s confidence of attaining higher honours with the three-year-old.

The Savabeel filly earned favouritism for this Saturday’s Gr.1 Wellfield New Zealand Oaks when she dead-heated with Platinum Witness in the Gr.3 Lowland Stakes.

“She’s been rounding off her races really well and the other day she ran her last 600 in 33.20 and the sprinters ran 33.18,” Bergerson said.

“They can all get the distance, it’s just that some run it faster than others.”

Savaria broke her maiden at her second start on New Year’s Day before she ran third against the older horses in a special conditions event at Trentham to the capable Seize The Moment.

She again finished strongly at New Plymouth to run second in the Oaks Prelude behind Thee Auld Floozie, who has since beaten Saavoya and Charmont in the a key northern lead-up, the Gr.3 Sunline Vase at Ellerslie.

“She’s just got better with each run,” Bergerson said. “She jarred up a bit after Trentham, but she’s right now and she’s going the right way.”

The money has continued to come for Savaria in the Oaks market and she is the current $3.50 favourite ahead of Saavoya at $6 and the Thee Auld Floozie at $7.

New Zealand 1000 Guineas winner Platinum Witness is also at a $7 quote and her regular rider Darryl Bradley is confident she can run a strong 2400 metres.

“I would have liked to have been a bit more patient at Hastings, but there were two things on my mind – Pipi Beel was starting to sneak around the field and the Rogerson horse (Tasha Aimee) I was following was under heavy pressure and coming back on me,” he said.

“I had to go or I would have got dragged right back. My filly has got a lot of class and she’ll be in it for a long way.” – NZ Racing Desk.

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