Savabeel filly top Oaks hope

Savabeel’s daughter Savaria is the new Gr 1 New Zealand Oaks favourite following her shared triumph in the Gr 3 Lowland Stakes. The filly has made excellent progress since she won her maiden at Hastings on New Year’s Day and is now down to $4 for the Trentham classic in a fortnight’s time.

“She’s shown us she’s a smart filly all the way through with the plan being to try and get her to the Oaks,” trainer Roydon Bergerson said. He prepares Savaria, who is out of the O’Reilly mare Amathea, for Des and Kay Fleming who paid $110,000 for her at Karaka in 2013.

Savaria settled back in the Lowland field at Hastings and she attacked the line strongly under rider Hayden Tinsley. They were locked together at the post with the Gr 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas winner with judge Dick Hunt unable to split the pair.