Happy days for filly

4 January 2019

Happily To Be (NZ) ridden by Damien Thornton wins the Kellys Country Homes Maiden Plate at Seymour Racecourse on December 30, 2018 in Seymour, Australia. (Brett Holburt/Racing Photos)

Well-related filly Happily To Be looks a three-year-old with a bright future in Australia for Waikato Stud.

The well-related filly has been lightly-tried by Flemington trainer Danny O’Brien and has made an encouraging start to her career.

The daughter of Pins placed in two of her first three starts before breaking her maiden at Seymour last time out.

Bred and part-owned by the Matamata nursery, she is a daughter of the O’Reilly mare Merrily.

She is a half-sister to the stakes winner Glad and the family of the champion mare Black Caviar.

Happily To Be is also a half-sister to the Stephen Marsh-trained Exuberant.

A $160,000 Karaka yearling, the son of Savabeel won the Listed Wellesley Stakes on debut.

158 For Sav

Waikato Stud’s evergreen Champion sire Savabeel recorded his 158th stakes winner when Essentric Nature landed the Listed Old Comrade Stakes (1600m) at Ascot on Good Friday. Trained by Grant and Alana Williams, the gelding, who …

2 April 2026

Perth Racing and Trackside lock in Sav’s Jedibeel for Quokka

Perth Racing and Trackside NZ have officially secured their contender for the 2026 BYD Quokka, (supported by Western Australia, Walking on a Dream) the $5 million sprint at Ascot Racecourse on 18 April. Jedibeel will …