Group honours for Von Hauke

Lightly raced four-year-old Von Hauke successfully rose to the sternest challenge of his career on Saturday when he produced a gallant performance to win the G3 Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap at Flemington.

The Waikato Stud-bred and sold son of Savabeel had been unplaced when he resumed off a break at Caulfield last month in Benchmark 84 company and he handled the step to stakes company with aplomb.

“He is a lovely horse and what was significant was that he really relaxed,” trainer Cliff Brown.

“We threw him in at the deep end a bit, but did it for a reason. He had gone 1100 metres first-up and up to 1400 metres really suited him, we’ll look for a mile somewhere for him next.”

Von Hauke settled fourth off the fence in a small field and he finished determinedly in the closing 300 metres to score in a driving finish and take his record to three wins and five placings from 11 appearances.

“It was a small and select field and he travelled sweetly for me and was really well prepared for the race,” Williams said.

Von Hauke was offered on behalf of the Matamata farm by Stonehouse Thoroughbreds at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale where he was knocked down to Brown for A$190,000.

He is out of the O’Reilly mare Tiara, also the dam of the multiple winners Savvy Sovereign and Savvy Crown, who is a granddaughter of the G1 Auckland Cup winner Royal Tiara.

Brown also purchased Von Hauke’s half-brother by Super Seth for $50,000 at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale in 2023 and their half-sister by Tivaci at the Weanling Sale for $22,000.

Tiara produced a colt by Tivaci last season and is in foal to associate sire Banquo.