Savabeel 4YO chasing pot of gold

Nereus showed he was progressing well toward a big money target when he romped to victory at Trentham this afternoon.

The son of Savabeel is trained for breeder Waikato Stud by Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray, and the four-year-old made short work of his Rating 65 rivals over 1600 metres.

Nereus broke well for champion rider Opie Bosson to sit in second spot off the fence and he cruised to the front 350 metres from home and bolted clear to score by three and a-half lengths.

“It was a good ride by Opie and good to give the horse a look around Trentham before the $350,000 race,” said Ritchie, referring to the Remutaka Classic over 2100 metres on January 20.

“He’s got al the pedigree and we’re very pleased to be training him for Waikato Stud.”

The winner of two of his four starts, Nereus is a brother to the two-time Group 1 winner Savvy Coup with their dam, the Pins mare Eudora.

She is a sister to the Group winners Legless Veuve and Tootsie, dam of the three-time Group 2 winner and sire Ocean Emperor and the mother of Waikato Stud’s G1 Flight Stakes winner Never Been Kissed.

The other star member of this family is the four-time elite level winner Probabeel.

Eagle swoops on Doncaster’s start

Loch Eagle claimed the golden ticket into a feature autumn mile with his victory at Randwick this afternoon.

Scratchings allowed the five-year-old son of Lonhro to come off the ballot to win the G2 The Ingham (formerly the Villiers Stakes) over 1600 metres and earn ballot exemption from the A$4 million G1 Doncaster Handicap.

Trained by Kris Lees for a syndicate that includes Waikato Stud, Loch Eagle improved wide to be in the hunt on straightening for rider Dylan Gibbons and rounded off strongly in the run home.

The winner of six of his 25 starts and nearly A$1.8 million, he was a A$230,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase by Masterton bloodstock agent Bruce Perry, who is also in the ownership group.

Loch Eagle is a son of the unraced Shamardal mare Song Street, and she is a half-sister to the dual European Group 1 winner Laverock and to the dam of the mother of top-flight winner and leading sire Pierro.