Innes and Savabeel a potent duo

Leith Innes completed a notable feature race double with the progeny of Savabeel at Ellerslie yesterday. He had combined with the promising filly Lucia Valentina to win Friday’s Gr 3 Wellington Stakes and followed up with victory aboard Lady Kipling in the Gr 3 Eagle Technology Stakes.

Lady Kipling has been an outstanding representative for the WS stallion, who drew rich praise from the mare’s co-trainer Murray Baker. “She’s been a beautiful mare to train and if they were all like her it would be easy,” he said. “She’s another Savabeel and they are terrific horses.”

The six-year-old is in foal to Rip Van Winkle and after seven minor placings at Group One level, she will have one more opportunity to break through at the top level. “There’s the Zabeel Classic or the Thorndon Mile, but she’ll have the weight in the Thorndon and that makes it very hard for a mare,” Baker said. Lady Kipling is expected to have her final lead-up in the Gr 2 Cal Isuzu Stakes, a race she won in 2011.