Classy Noverre in stunning 2,000 Guineas win
Te Akau’s Savabeel colt produces glittering first-to-last performance to land New Zealand Classic at Riccarton
The familiar team of David Ellis, Jamie Richards, Opie Bosson and Savabeel (Zabeel) added yet another big-race win to their records yesterday when Noverre (3 c ex Magic Dancer by Rip Van Winkle) conjured up an impressive performance to win the New Zealand 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) at Riccarton.
The colt came into the race off the back of an eye-catching victory in the War Decree Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m) on October 23, leaving him as the short-priced $1.90 favourite for yesterday’s contest.
Bosson appeared happy to bide his time, placing the colt at the back of proceedings as the gates crashed back. As the field rounded the turn, Noverre was still at the rear and Bosson eased the colt to the outside where he produced an electric turn of foot to run away with a comfortable two-and-three-quarter-length victory over Meritable (Snitzel) with another length to Field Of Gold (Starspangledbanner) in third.
Noverre provided trainer Richards with his 48th Group 1 victory, and third win in the race following Embellish’s (Savabeel) 2017 triumph and Xtravagant (Pentire) in 2015 – with both horses trained in partnership with Stephen Autridge..
“It was a really impressive win,” Richards said. “I said to Opie, don’t panic, I don’t want you to the outside until the 700 metres and he was really explosive when he got clear. He looks a pretty special colt, doesn’t he?
“He was a beautiful yearling when David (Ellis) bought him.
“He paid a bit of money, but he had the pedigree and the looks. He was a little bit backward as a two-year-old and needed time to strengthen up, but the team has done a really good job and his improvement throughout the spring has been very encouraging.”
Richards said the colt would now head for a spell, but revealed the Karaka Million 3YO Classic (RL, 1600m) and Australian Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) at Flemington were on the agenda for the three-year-old.
“He’ll be set for the Karaka Million 3YO Classic in January and after that we’ll have to see where we end up,” Richards said.
“He could stay here or he could be an Australian horse. We will just be guided by how the next couple of months go. He has got plenty of options.
“He could be an Australian Guineas type over a mile at Flemington on a big, roomy track, he’d love that. We have brought a few colts over and gone home with our tail between our legs, so hopefully this colt will be one we get over there and can be competitive with.
“He’s a stunning colt and with Waikato Stud we’ve enjoyed so much success with these Savabeels.”
Bred by Waikato Stud, Noverre was purchased by Te Akau principal David Ellis for NZ$800,000 out of their 2020 Book 1 draft at the New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale.
The colt is the first foal out of Group 3-winning mare Magic Dancer (Rip Van Winkle), in turn a daughter of Listed scorer Dazzling Belle (Desert Sun), who also produced Group 1-placed juvenile Manten (Encosta De Lago).
A brother to Noverre was purchased by Import Racing for $190,000 front the Sledmere draft at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale earlier this year and Magic Dancer produced another colt by the stallion last season and she is expecting another foal by the son of Zabeel (Sir Tristram) this season.
In winning the race, Noverre became the 25th individual Group 1 winner for Savabeel, further tightening his grasp on the New Zealand stallion premiership and, even at this early stage, he looks on track to land his eighth consecutive general sires’ title.
Garry Chittick, who retained a sizeable share in the colt, purchased Magic Dancer from her trainer Graeme Rogerson and he was delighted to see the colt deliver on his enormous talent yesterday.
“I’m very excited by the win and thought it was an amazing performance,” Chittick said.
“He did everything possible to get beaten. When he got tangled up behind the mob, I thought ‘geez, you’re in trouble’ but he was good enough to overcome it. He’s such a lovely horse.”
“Rogey (Graeme Rogerson) sold me the mare off the track. We had a bit of bad luck the first year, getting caught up in a fence, and she never got in foal. So, we missed (that year) and Noverre is her first foal.
“The second foal went to Sydney and this year I’ve got an outstanding colt, as good as Noverre, which is ready for sale.
“She’s had another colt, and was served two days ago, so four colts in a row and we could do with a filly, hopefully.
“I’m really excited to have kept ownership in Noverre and my good mate Gary Wallace has a share, too, so he’s happy.
“Right from the word go I wanted to stay in the colt and didn’t actually want to sell him.
“But good on DC (David Ellis) for buying him, and I’m lucky to have my share and get part of the winning stakes as well.”
Te Akau supremo Ellis is no stranger to big victories but, given the difficulties faced over the past two years, he rated this as one of his best.
“I honestly think with everything that’s going on around the world at the moment that this is possibly the greatest thrill I’ve had in racing, especially seeing him win as well as he did,” he said.
“We’ve got so many great owners in this colt. They’ve all rung in congratulating me and I’m extremely proud to have them all involved.
“It’s such a great feeling to see people invest in a colt like this and get to experience the thrill of winning such a prestigious Group 1 race. They’ve backed me at the sales and we cannot do this without them.
“It’s quite incredible the success we’ve had buying horses from Waikato Stud, and the support that Garry and Mark Chittick have given us. What great breeders they are, and the way that Jamie trains these Savabeels is quite incredible and it’s a great combination.”
Zaaki and Nature Strip sign off an all-conquering carnival for McDonald
The insurmountable force of James McDonald came to the fore once again at Flemington yesterday as the all-conquering jockey took his total tally of winners for the Melbourne Cup Carnival to a record-breaking ten, with number nine coming aboard Nature Strip (Nicconi) in the VRC Sprint (Gr 1, 1200m), while Zaaki (Leroidesanimaux) provided the jockey with the perfect ten in the Mackinnon Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m).
The decade of winners bettered the longstanding record of nine set by Brett Prebble in 1999 and 2000, but McDonald typically downplayed these latest triumphs after celebrating the success immediately after the line with his childhood idol Prebble, who rode the runner-up Cascadian (New Approach).
“It started with The Everest, and it comes down to this fantastic carnival,” the winning rider said.
“It’s obviously a fantastic thrill. I obviously can’t do it without the support of all the trainers that have put me on this week, and good horses that I’ve been so lucky to partner for the whole week.
“To start off with the Coolmore, then the Holy Grail (the Melbourne Cup on Verry Elleegant) which is the special one and then to cap it off with two more today.”
McDonald came to Melbourne fresh from his victory aboard Nature Strip in the $15 million Everest (1200m) and he paired up once again with the Chris Waller-trained gelding, who sauntered to a three-and-a-quarter-length victory over Swats That (Shamus Award) in the VRC Sprint. Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai) was another length and a quarter away in third.
Nature Strip landed the race in 2019, before Bivouac (Exceed And Excel) denied him consecutive victories 12 months ago when he beat the son of Nicconi (Bianconi) into second. But the win never looked in any doubt yesterday, a performance that now has Waller considering overseas assignments for the seven-year-old, but he was naturally unwilling to make any major raceday plans in the immediate aftermath.
“We’ll think about that tomorrow,” Waller said. “For now we’re going to enjoy it with the owners. They’ve hardly seen him race over the last 18 months.
“There’s a great group of sprinters going around. We saw in The Everest last start, Eduardo and Masked Crusader, they’re serious horses, so it was good to bring him here today.
“It’s been a long prep for these horses and to hold them up is a credit to my team.”
Waller has been nearly as dominant as McDonald during the Cup carnival, with Nature Strip handing the trainer his seventh winner.
Early on in his career, Nature Strip was famous for his hot-headed nature which often thwarted his ability to finish off in his races, but McDonald said the gelding has developed into a complete sprinter.
“It’s a learning curve every preparation we have with him and there’s great expectation with him every time he steps out, that comes with pressure as well,” McDonald told Racing.com.
“When he’s a short-priced favourite we’ve fallen into the trap of worrying about the race too much rather than worrying about the horse. But now, it is completely about the horse and what will be, will be.
“He (Nature Strip) has just been in the zone, he’s been harnessing it. Today, Chris only gave me one instruction. He said ‘treat it like a Tuesday gallop – four, home two’. As easy as that. Just point and steer.
“We can’t take any run lightly. We have come to Flemington before and expected him to win and rode him probably not so well considering the circumstances but now we’ve got a great handle on him and he’s racing terrifically. He’s just a marvellous horse.”
Bred by Golden Grove Stud Farm, Nature Strip (7 g Nicconi – Strikeline by Desert Sun) is one of three winners out of Group 3-winning mare Strikeline (Desert Sun), making him a half-brother to Listed scorer The Barrister (Star Witness).
Strikeline herself is a daughter of Listed winner Strike High (Pre Emptive Strike) and she produced a further four winners, including Group 3 winner Bashful Girl (Perugino).
Having missed to multiple New Zealand champion Savabeel (Zabeel) in 2018 and 2019, Strikeline was covered by Rosemont Stud-based sire Shamus Award (Snitzel) last December.
Nature Strip is one of 23 stakes winners and the only elite-level winner for the Widden Stud-based sire Nicconi (Bianconi), who relocated to the stud’s Victorian roster for the 2021 season where he is standing for a fee of $27,500 (inc GST).
Heading into the carnival, it would have taken someone extremely brave to bet against Zaaki (7 g Leroidesanimaux – Kesara by Sadler’s Wells) finishing the week off without another Group 1 to his name, but after a spiked temperature on raceday morning forced trainer Annabel Neasham to withdraw the gelding from his main target, the Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m), it was looking very possible the European-bred could be staring down the barrel of a fruitless end to the spring.
However, after being given a clean bill of health, the new target quickly became the Mackinnon Stakes and the gelding showed his usual brilliance under McDonald to beat Cascadian (New Approach) – who was fittingly ridden by Prebble – by a length and a quarter. The winner’s stablemate Mo’unga (Savabeel) was another length and three-quarters away in third.
Triumphant in the Tramway Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m) and Underwood Stakes (Gr 1, 1800m) on his first two starts this preparation, Zaaki had his spring derailed when beaten into third when ridden by Craig Williams in the Caulfield Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m).
But, reunited with his usual partner in McDonald yesterday, Zaaki reassured his supporters he is the most dominant force in the middle distance ranks in Australia.
Neasham said the disappointment was wiped away with yesterday’s victory, although she did admit to being quite nervous beforehand.
“He looked fresh in the run,” Neasham said. “He obviously hadn’t run for a month, but it was a beautiful ride by James who can do no wrong at the moment.
“I knew at the top of the straight that he had such a lapful of horse that I knew it would take a good one to run him down.
“It’s superb and Mo’unga, I’m very proud of him.”
A 150,000 guineas purchase for Stuart Boman of Blandford Bloodstock at the 2020 Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale, Zaaki is one of three Group 1 winners for his sire Leroidesanimaux (Candy Stripes).
Sejardan books his Golden Slipper spot
The Gary Portelli-trained Sejardan (Sebring) announced himself as a genuine contender for the $5 million Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) in the autumn when he landed the $1 million Golden Gift (1100m) at Rosehill yesterday.
The colt came into the race with a lofty reputation to uphold, having landed the Breeders’ Plate (Gr 3, 1000m) five weeks ago, and he built on that early promise with an equally impressive win yesterday.
Portelli already has a Golden Slipper courtesy of She Will Reign (Manhattan Rain) and he believes Sejardan has all the makings of a top-line two-year-old.
“He had to do what he did today to prove to me he’s the real deal,” the winning trainer said.
“It was a strong race and the backmarkers weren’t playing today. He’s just done everything you want to see. He is the real deal. My job now is to give him a break and get him back and have him in first-class order for the big one.”
Jason Collett had Sejardan out the back early before peeling to the outside on straightening.
The youngster had to make a long run from near the rear of the field, but he extended nicely down the outside to deny race favourite Shalatin (Shalaa) by a half-neck with Ojai (Exceed And Excel) another long neck away in third.
Portelli will now spell Sejardan and is likely to bring him back for the $2 million Inglis Millennium (RL, 1100m) next year, while he did not rule out the colt tackling the other two juvenile triple crown races aside from the Golden Slipper; the ATC Sires’ Produce (Gr 1, 1400m) and ATC Champagne Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m).
Collett said Sejardan was mature beyond his years and a genuine talent.
“I love him. He’s got such a great head on him which is probably the difference at this age,” the jockey said.
“Like Gary said, he’s got an old head on young shoulders and it showed today. His race sense is really good for a horse that’s only had one trial and a few starts.”
Should Sejardan land the Golden Slipper in March, he would emulate his late sire Sebring (More Than Ready), who took out the Rosehill showpiece in 2008, a victory which earned him a place on the Widden Stud roster where he stood until his untimely death in 2019.
The Slipper is also the plan for the runner-up, with the Joe Pride-trained Shalatin banking himself enough money to see him safely in the 1200-metre race in the autumn.
“We are in the Golden Slipper now, so that is a good place to be,” Pride said.
“But he will want a bit more racing in the autumn so we can iron out the chinks in his armour.”
Sejardan (2 c Sebring – Miss Amajardan by Hinchinbrook) is the second foal out of Miss Amajardan (Hinchinbrook), an early season two-year-old winner of the Victory Vein Plate (1000m) and a half-sister to last weekend’s Heritage Stakes (Listed, 1100m) third Tristate (Headwater) and Widden Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) third placegetter Blazing Miss (Sizzling).
The colt’s fourth dam Procrastinate (Jade Hunter) is the producer of five stakes winners, including five-time South African Grade 1 winner Laisserfaire (Danehill).
Miss Amajardan has a yearling colt from the first crop of Trapeze Artist (Snitzel).
Sejardan is a graduate of the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale when purchased by his trainer for $160,000 from the Middlebrook Valley Lodge draft.
The colt is one of 73 stakes winners for Sebring and they are headed by seven elite-level winners.