Third Elite Level Score For Savabeel’s Girl Provence

What a race, what a finish, what a win!

The Stephen Marsh trained Savabeel mare Provence added Saturday’s Group 1 Mufhasa Classic (1600m) at Trentham in a thrilling finish to her previous two elite level victories.

Bred by Tony Rider and raced in partnership with Social Racing Ellerslie Winners Circle Syndicate, the 6yo mare improved from her last start second over 1400m at Group 2 level to charge along the rails under George Rooke to defeat fellow Group 1 winners Waitak and La Crique in an extremely close nose-nose result.

A previous winner of the Group 1 Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) and the Group 1 Thorndon Mile (1600m), it has been a brilliant 2025 for the mare who has had seven races this year for three Group 1 victories, joining an elite line up of success stories for Savabeel who have recorded multiple elite level wins.

Trainer Stephen Marsh wasn’t on course, but instead at Pukekohe with his other runners.

“I had my phone in one hand and the most horses I have ever had in a race,” said Marsh post-race. “We had five horses in the next (at Pukekohe) and all the jockeys were crowding around us to see if we had won. It was a hectic few minutes, but it made it very worthwhile. It was an awesome feeling to get the result.

“I don’t know why it took so long. It was an anxious moment, but we certainly got the right result and I am absolutely over the moon.”

“I thought her first-up run in the handicap with 60 kilos was very good, I liked it, she just peaked on her run late,” Marsh said. “She was terrific second-up again and I thought she just needed the run again. Today she stripped a much better horse again.

“Where her fitness is at, I think that was probably the winning of the race because she got held up a bit longer than she wanted to and sprinted well. She probably started to peak on her run a little bit late, but she was terrific.

“What a great field it was. It was a brilliant race with Group One winners galore and she pulled out and won. It could have gone either way of three.”

Taking her earnings past the NZ$1million mark highlighted by seven career wins, the 6yo mare is a full-sister to this year’s Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) Damask Rose.

“By Savabeel, they just keep getting better and better,” Marsh said. “Once they hit form and know how to win, they are bloody hard to beat. We need more of them.”

With Marsh clearly a fan of Savabeel, there will be plenty of opportunity at the upcoming yearling sales to add more to his stable.

January’s Magic Millions yearling sale sees two fillies catalogued before the lion’s share of his crop will be offered at Karaka with 35 yearlings in Book 1 with 13 being presented by Waikato Stud – please click HERE to view our draft.

And to add a further boost to our very own stallions, Provence’s half-brother by SUPER SETH is set to sell at January’s New Zealand Bloodstock yearling sale as Lot 138 from the draft of Milan Park, where the well-bred colt is sure to prove very popular!