Trainer Mike Moroney is considering testing his three year old Savile Row against the older horse at Te Rapa on his way to the Group 1 NZ$1m Vodafone NZ Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie on March 4.
Trainer Mike Moroney, above, is considering the Australian Derby at Randwick for his 3yo Savile Row. Photo by Taron Clarke.
Savile Row ran a brave race against his own age last Saturday when a nose second to Hall Of Fame in the Group 1 NZ$225,000 Randwick Meats Levin Classic (1600m) at Trentham in New Zealand.
Moroney was very impressed with the run and is now contemplating toughening up Savile Row under weight for age conditions against the older horses in the Group 1 NZ$400,000 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa on February 11.
“I thought it was very good. It was a pretty close finish, he only got beaten a nose,” Moroney told Racing.com.
“He just got tightened up a little bit. He just raced a little bit ungenerous in between horses.”
“I though his effort was still very good.”
“Next start we are tossing up if we take on the older horses at weight for age 2000m race at Te Rapa or there is a Guineas as well.”
“We will toss it around.”
Moroney said that he would wait a couple of days to see how Savile Row recovers from the Levin Classic run before cementing in any further plans but another option is to keep him to his own age in the Group 2 NZ$100,000 Avondale Guineas (2100m) at Ellerslie on February 18.
“We want to see how he comes through. We will give him a couple of quiet days, it is a bit of a trip away down to Wellington,” Moroney said.
“Other than that we could just leave him for the Avondale Guineas which is run at Ellerslie over 2100m.”
“But as this stage his main aim is the New Zealand Derby and then hopefully through that we will see him over here during the Autumn.”
Moroney is anticipating that the Savabeel colt will race up to his expectation in the New Zealand Derby and is already planning a trip to the Sydney for the Group 1 $2m BMW Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick on April 1, the first day of ‘The Championships’ during the Sydney Autumn Carnival.
