Smart son of Savabeel strikes again

Poison Chalice remained unbeaten this preparation when he produced another dynamic performance on Wednesday afternoon on the Lakeside course at Sandown.

The Paul Preusker-trained four-year-old, who had successfully resumed from a 10-month break at Geelong at the end of last month, continued his winning form with a sublime display.

Poison Chalice settled midfield and one off the fence and once he was clear of traffic in the straight the Waikato Stud graduate let down powerfully between runners to claim top honours.

“He’s doing all this on raw ability and he’s hasn’t grown into his frame yet so he’s not the finished product,” Preusker’s partner Holly McKechnie said.

The lightly raced Poison Chalice has been ridden in his last two starts by Declan Bates, who agreed the best had yet to come from the gelding.

“He’s got lots of improvement, mentally he’s still a bit of a baby,” he said.

“When the gap came and he hit top gear he was going away, I don’t ride many with that turn of foot.”

Poison Chalice is raced by the Ultra Horse Syndicate after he was purchased for A$350,000 at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

A half-brother to multiple winners Pins Prince and Neighbourhood, he out of the O’Reilly mare Urban who is a half-sister to the G3 South Island Thoroughbred Breeders’ S. winner Residential.

Since Poison Chalice, Urban has produced three fillies by Savabeel and is again in foal again to the multiple Champion Sire.