Trainer John O’Shea is happy with the 2014 Royal Randwick Guineas barrier draw Savvy Nature and believes that the talented gelding will get his chance in the Group 1 event in Sydney on Saturday.
Savvy Nature is chasing his maiden win at Group 1 level in the Royal Randwick Guineas in Sydney this weekend. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Savvy Nature is set to receive an excellent run from barrier six in the Royal Randwick Guineas and based on his performance first-up in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m), where he worked home strongly late to finish third behind Dissident and Atlante, he will relish the step-up to a mile.
O’Shea told TVN that he was happy with the Hobartville Stakes performance of Savvy Nature and said that the son of Savabeel had trained on strongly ahead of his return to Group 1 racing this weekend.
“He gets his chance,” O’Shea said.
“His effort first-up was very good and he’s done well since.
“I’m pretty happy heading into Saturday, but it’s a very strong renewal of the race.”
Savvy Nature revealed at the end of last year that the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Royal Randwick on April 12, rather than the Group 1 Australian Derby (2400m), could be the major 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival goal for the three-year-old.
O’Shea said that he is still unsure which race he will target with Savvy Nature during The Championships and will wait until he sees how the Spring Champion Stakes placegetter performs in the Royal Randwick Guineas and the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) a fortnight later before he makes a decision.
“He’ll go to the Rosehill Guineas after Saturday then we’ll worry about anything else after that,” O’Shea said.
“These are his two major races at the moment.”
Savvy Nature performed strongly during his 2013 Spring Racing Carnival campaign, that was highlighted by wins in the Group 3 Spring Stakes (1600m) and Group 2 Mitchelton Wines Vase (2040m), but was unable to breakthrough for a maiden win at Group 1 level; finishing third in the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) and a disappointing 14th in the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m).
O’Shea will be having his first runner in the Royal Randwick Guineas since Zabrasive finished fourth behind Shoot Out in the 2010 edition of the race and is hopeful that he can improve on the third place finish of Primus in 2006.
