Smart savabeel colt back in work
25 November 2015
One-time Gr 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas favourite Scrutinize has returned to the Matamata stable of Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards. The WS-bred son of Savabeel and Legs moved into serious contention for the Christchurch classic when he finished runner-up in the Gr 2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas.
However, plans for Riccarton were scrapped following his unplaced run in the Gr 2 Sarten Memorial after an interrupted run. “We had bloods taken and the results said he’d had enough,” Richards said. “He had 10 days in the paddock and we’re really happy with him now, he’s 100 per cent.”
Purchased by Te Akau principal David Ellis out of WS’s 2014 Premier Sale draft to Karaka for $200,000, Scrutinize has won two of his four starts. “His first serious aim is likely to be the Great Northern Guineas at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day and we’ll find a lead-up race somewhere for him,” Richards said.
Recent News
25 October 2025
Cornflower Blue juvenile goes two-from-two
Déjà vu struck at Riccarton as Out Of The Blue, a $60,000 Karaka purchase for David Ellis CNZM, surged home under Opie Bosson to score for Te Akau in the tangerine, another triumph for Waikato Stud breeding.
Read More
24 October 2025
The Corner with Garry Chittick
The impact of an individual horse on our sport can have significant and lasting results. My Corner has, by and large, shied away from marketing Waikato Stud; however, O’Reilly is very special to us, and the performance of his grandson has prompted me to remind the two of you why I so often include him in my ramblings on the male effect on our industry.
Read More