Promising three year old Savvy Nature heads up the nominations for the Group 2 $200,000 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Savvy Nature to resume in the Hobartville Stakes. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.
Trainer John O’Shea has an ambitious Autumn Carnival program ahead for Savvy Nature who rose to the fore during the Melbourne Spring Carnival with a breathtaking three lengths win in the Group 2 $220,000 Mitchelton Wines Vase (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 26.
Savvy Nature then ran fourteenth after having a troubled run to Polanski in the Group 1 $1.5m AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington on November 2 which has influenced O’Shea’s decision to stick to the shorter distances during the Autumn.
O’Shea has virtually ruled out a start in the Group 1 $2m BMW Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick on April 12 and will aim the Savabeel gelding towards ‘The Championships’ with a start in the Group 1 $3m The Star Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick on April 12 followed by the Group 1 $4m Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick the following week.
“The Doncaster has significant appeal to me because possibly one of his best performances at Newcastle was over a mile and sometimes that tells you where they should be heading,” O’Shea told Sky Radio.
“Obviously he’s won over 2000 metres and the concern about running in the (Australian) Derby is that by definition it rules out the opportunity to run in the Queen Elizabeth.”
The Hobartville Stakes will also see a rematch between the Kiwi colt El Roca, the Peter Moody trained Dissident and Gai Waterhouse’s two year old Group 1 winner Romantic Touch who finished first, second and third in the Listed $125,000 Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on February 15.
El Roca was back to his best New Zealand form when he ran away for a first up two lengths win over Dissident and Romantic Touch who were also having their first runs since the Spring.
Dissident raced well in Group 1 company during the Spring Carnival and was beaten less than half a length by multi-million colt Zoustar in the Group 1 $1m De Bortoli Wines Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on September 14.
The Sebring colt then went on to finish sixth to Streama in the Group 1 $350,000 George Main Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on September 21 before running fourth to Long John in the Group 1 $1m BECK Caulfield Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 12
With only eleven three year olds nominated for the Hobartville Stakes, The Australian Turf Club has extended entries until 11AM on Tuesday, February 25.
