Mackintosh back in perfect style

A daughter of WS’s Cox Plate winner Savabeel took an impressive winning step at Rotorua yesterday toward a Gr 1 target. The Arron Tata-trained Savannah Rush continued her solid middle distance form when she demolished her older rivals by a wide margin.

“We very pleased with her and it was a true stayer’s race and worked out well for her,” the Cambridge horseman said. “We were very confident and her trackwork in the last two weeks had been superb.” Both the three-year-old’s career victories have been posted over ground and her only other appearance at 2000 metres resulted in a placing.

“She was nominated for the New Zealand Oaks right from the start and that’s her main aim,” Tata said. Savannah Rush is out of an unraced St Jovite mare who is a daughter of the New Zealand 1000 Guineas winner Phillipa Rush and her half-sister Emerald also won the Riccarton classic.