Savabeel colt on Guineas path

Pakenham trainer Phillip Stokes has locked in a Classic path for exciting Savannah Cloud.

Stokes confirmed the G1 Caulfield Guineas was on the Savabeel 3-year-old’s program following a runaway maiden success at Cranbourne on Sunday.

Savannah Cloud was returning from a break and, after racing three wide in midfield, rider Luke Nolen let him have his head at the top of the straight and they bolted clear to win by a widening 5.5l.

“He can go on to better things now and it’s two weeks to the G3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude, that’s the logical step, and then the G1 Caulfield Guineas,” Stokes said.

“I was very happy with the way he relaxed and he put paid to them pretty easily. He’s an exciting horse.”

Savannah Cloud was a $140,000 New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale purchase for Dalziel Bloodstock and Peter Moody and is a son of the O’Reilly mare Annie Higgins.

She won six races, including two at Group 3 level and was a multiple Group 2 placegetter. She is a grand-daughter of Tri Belle, successful in four Group 2 events.

Savannah Cloud showed he had inherited a good degree of the family ability with placings at both of his 2-year-old starts. He was third at Caulfield on debut behind multiple winner Saltpeter and was then runner-up to two-time winner Sense Of Honour at Flemington.