Savabeel 4YO provides early return

The well-related Bunker Hut provided his new connections with a dream start when he powered to a first-up victory at Rosehill.

The son of Savabeel was making his first appearance since he was successful at Warwick Farm in June, but with the benefit of a recent trial he was presented in prime order for the Midway Handicap over 1200 metres by trainer Michael Freedman.

The Waikato Stud-bred and sold Bunker Hut camped in behind the pace and, once into the clear 250 metres from home, he lengthened stride strongly for rider Tyler Schiller to overpower his rivals.

“He’s a nice horse and I think he’s still got improvement in him,” Schiller said.

He was originally purchased at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, where he was offered by Sledmere Stud on behalf of the Matamata nursery, for A$520,000 by the China Horse Club, Newgate Farm and Mitchell Bloodstock.

Bunker Hut posted two wins and four placings from 10 appearances before he was secured by Darby Racing for A$155,000 via the Inglis Digital June Sale.

“It’s great for Darby, he didn’t really fir the profile for Newgate so I said to Scott (Darby) that it would be a good opportunity to get some new owners involved and they wouldn’t have to wait long,” Freedman said.

“I’ve always thought he was a Saturday class horse.”

He is a son of the Pins mare Pretty and is a half-brother to stakes winners Bonny O’Reilly and Pretty To Sea and to the dam of the G3 James HB Carr S. winner and G1 Coolmore Classic winner Espiona.

Pretty is a half-sister to dual Group 1 winners Glamour Puss and Vision And Power and to the G2 Stan Fox S. winner Rare Insight, whose daughter Steps in Time also won the Coolmore.

In foal to Ocean Park, Pretty has an unraced three-year-old sister to Bunker Hut and her Ocean Park colt sold for $360,000 at this year’s New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale to trainer Chris Waller and agent Guy Mulcaster.