Savvy Dreams Ready for 2017 Australasian Oaks Trial

Pre-post favourite for next month’s Australasian Oaks 2017 in Adelaide, Savvy Nature is on track for her down under debut in the traditional lead-up at Morphettville Racecourse this weekend.

Bonneval

Australasian Oaks hope Savvy Nature has form around ATC Oaks champion Bonneval (pictured). Photo: Steve Hart.

Prepared at Hastings across the Tasman by Guy Lowry & Grant Cullen, smart Savabeel filly Savvy Dreams is locked-in for a first-up run in the $120,000 Group 3 Schweppervescence Stakes (1800m) – registered as the Auraria Stakes – in South Australia on Saturday.

Just seventeen three-year-old fillies are left in the race following a host of early scratchings and Savvy Dreams is the current $5 second elect in markets at Ladbrokes.com.au behind the widely-drawn Darren Weir-trained Kenedna ($3.60).

Paul Gatt has the ride on the Kiwi visitor who has gun form lines from back home that connections are hoping stack-up again on the weekend.

The progressive filly was last seen running third behind Bonneval in the Group 1 NZ Oaks (2400m) on March 18.

That form was franked when the Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman-trained Bonneval travelled to Sydney during ‘The Championships’ and won the Group 1 ATC Oaks (2400m) by a runaway four and a half-lengths.

Savvy Dreams is well-fancied to also show-up in her maiden Australian start on Saturday as she progresses towards a Morphettville return on May 6 in the $500,000 Group 1 Australasian Schweppes Oaks (2000m).

Co-trainer Cullen told New Zealand Racing Desk Savvy Dreams travelled from NZ to Adelaide without a worry and both she and her South Australian Derby-bound stablemate Lamborghini were doing well.

“It was a long trip – we left home last Tuesday and got here on Friday, but they both coped very well and I couldn’t be happier with the pair of them,” he said.

“Savvy Dreams lost a little bit of weight on the way over, but she’s put it back on and she’s the same weight now as when we left.

“She’s settled in really well and taking a line through Bonneval we would be surprised if she’s not competitive over here.”

Gatt put Savvy Dreams through her paces in a Wednesday gallop and all reports post-work were excellent.

“Obviously, she hasn’t raced since the New Zealand Oaks, but she’s raring to go and Paul Gatt, who rides her on Saturday, was aboard when she had a run along yesterday [Wednesday] morning and he was extremely impressed with her,” Cullen said on Thursday.

Three of the past five Australasian Oaks winners backed-up from a top four run in the Auraria Stakes, but the double hasn’t been completed since the Lee Freedman-trained Grand Echezeaux back in 2000.

Saturday’s Auraria Stakes is scheduled as Morphettville Race 7 at jumps at 4:13pm local time.

About The Author

Lucy Henderson

Lucy is an experienced horse racing journalist that has been a crucial member of the horseracing.com.au team for the better part of a decade. She has taken great delight in covering champion mares Black Caviar and Winx throughout their careers and always has a soft spot for a winning filly.