Promising Filly Makes Impressive Return

Regally bred filly Knucklebones took a winning step toward a trip away in a quest for black
type when she successfully resumed at Cranbourne this Friday evening.


The David Brideoake and Matt Jenkins-trained daughter of Savabeel was returning over
1300 metres after a three-month break and finished determinedly to get in the deciding
stride.


“We thought she was a run short and what she did showed she’s in for a very good
preparation,” Jenkins said.


“We have discussed a few plans for her, and I’d envisage that she will head to Queensland.”
The Waikato Stud-bred and raced Knucklebones was a debut winner at Mornington and the
finished runner-up at Sandown before a break and regular rider Jamie Mott was again
impressed by the three-year-old at Pakenham.


“It was a genuinely run race and she came here underdone so there is a stack of
improvement to come,” he said.


Knucklebones is a sister to G1 New Zealand Oaks winner and New Zealand Bloodstock Filly
of the Year Amarelinha.


Their dam is the unraced O’Reilly mare Hopscotch, a half-sister to the multiple Group 1
winner Metal Bender and the family of the Group 3 winners North Pacific, Sweet Ride and
Missybeel.


Hopscotch’s half-brother by Super Seth sold to Sydney trainer John O’Shea, agent James
Best and E Luca at this year’s New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale for $300,000 and the
mare is in foal to Ardrossan.

https://twitter.com/waikatostud/status/1781255733792895282?s=46&t=SYPZAzmXLsbtcYzCW0NU0Q

Recent News
12 October 2026

Group 1-placed Ardrossan filly heads to Guineas

Ardrossan’s talented daughter De Armas (NZ) is set to tackle the Group 1 Thousand Guineas, with trainer Chris Waller happy with the filly heading into the classic.

Read More
12 October 2026

WS-bred son of Sav adds the Seymour Cup to his country cups haul

Waikato Stud-bred Wymark (Savabeel ex Pasadena) has added another country cup to his record, winning Sunday’s Listed Seymour Cup for trainer Gavin Bedggood.

Read More