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Savabeel has extended his lead at the top of the NZ sires tables after his Oaks winner Savaria recorded her first win in 12 months at Trentham on Saturday in the G3 Wellington Cup.
The 2015 NZ Oaks winner, trained by Roydon Bergerson, the five-year-old mare came from last to win by a nose, her first victory since she won the Sumer Cup at Awapuni in December of 2015.
“It’s a great feeling. We’ve had a few knockers, but she’s a very good mare,” Bergerson said.“I never lost faith and I always knew we had the horse.”
Raced by Taranaki couple Des and Kay Fleming, Savaria (Savabeel x Amathea by O’Reilly) has now won five times from 24 starts with another six placings and prize money of $NZ434,822.Savaria is out of the unplaced mare Amathea, a three quarter sister to the stakes-placed Filey (O’Reilly) and a half-sister to the G3-placed Soelin (Stravinsky), who has had two foals to race for two winners.
Savaria’s second dam, the winning Solano (Red Glow), is a half-sister to three-time G1 winner Solveig (imposing), the dam of G3-winning stallion Greig (Grosvenor) and Listed winner Lady Solvil (Grosvenor).Amathea has an unnamed three-year-old colt by Shamoline Warrior while her current yearling colt by Niagara will be offered at the NZ Bloodstock Select Yearling Sale later this month from the draft of Trelawney Stud.
Amathea was covered by Scissor Kick last spring.Savabeel is New Zealand’s reigning champion sire with 56 individual stakes winners.