Sauvestre (AUS)
Sauvestre (AUS)
2 c Hinchinbrook – Dezign by Zabeel
O: Aquis HK G1
B: Cressfield
T: Chris Waller
S: 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale V: Cressfield P: Aquis Farms Pty Ltd, $500,000
W: Too Darn Hot @ Darley Maiden Handicap, 1200m, April 22, Canterbury
For all of Chris Waller’s domination of Sydney racing over the last decade, one “weakness” – or potentially a strength, given the longevity of many of his horses – is his record in Sydney’s juvenile features.
Waller has only had five runners in the Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m), with Hungry Heart (Frankel) giving the trainer his best result this year when she finished fifth to Farnan (Not A Single Doubt).
The ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) and the Champagne Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) are also yet to be won by Sydney’s eight-time champion trainer, with just one solitary placing in each race: Love And Kisses (Encosta De Lago) finished third to Sebring (More Than Ready) in the 2008 Sires, while Fast And Sexy (Fastnet Rock) filled the same spot behind Helmet (Exceed And Excel) in the Champagne Stakes in 2011.
For maiden watchers, though, now is the time to be keeping a watchful eye on any Waller-trained two-year-olds that head to the races.
The period between late April and the end of the season is when Waller generally steps out his most promising horses. The likes of Winx (Street Cry), The Autumn Sun (Redoute’s Choice), Funstar (Adelaide), Press Statement (Hinchinbrook), Preferment (Zabeel) and Zoustar (Northern Meteor) all debuted late in their two-year-old season; others, like Zousain (Zoustar), Brazen Beau (I Am Invincible) and Pressday (Domesday) avoided the Sydney features and were targeted towards stakes success in the winter.
Time will tell if Sauvestre (Hinchinbrook) – presumably named after French architect Stephen Sauvestre, one of the designers responsible for the Eiffel Tower – is able to join that group. On the strength of his maiden win at Canterbury on Wednesday, though, he appears a colt bound for bigger and better races.
Given a pearler of a ride by Brenton Avdulla, Sauvestre enjoyed a box-seat run from gate one, tracking the free-wheeling Inveigle (Medaglia d’Oro) throughout. Upon straightening, Inveigle gave a strong kick and looked destined for victory, with Sauvestre pulling out of his slipstream and giving chase resolutely.
Inveigle kept finding, drawing well clear of the rest of the field, but Sauvestre – despite racing greenly – went with him. The Aquis Farm debutant made ground with every stride, stretching out magnificently. Showing a tremendous will to win, Sauvestre grabbed Inveigle right on the line to win by a nose, with six lengths back to Switch Play (Shamexpress) in third.
It was visually a performance that appeared very impressive and Waller’s representative Charlie Duckworth confirmed that the shortened J J Atkins (Gr 1, 1400m) may be on the colt’s agenda.
“It was a fantastic win today,” Duckworth said. “He has always promised plenty to us but has taken a bit of time to come to hand. As you know, at this time of year it is very important for these two-year-old colts to step up and it is great to see that there is now a JJ Atkins to go ahead.
“It is obviously a race that can be targeted with a colt like this. It was great to get the win out of the way on the first time of asking. It will be interesting to see where he goes.”
By the late Hinchinbrook (Fastnet Rock), Sauvestre is the fourth living foal out of the unraced Zabeel (Sir Tristram) mare Dezign, herself a blueblood. She has also produced stakes-placed The Chairman (High Chaparral), city winner Excellent Design (Exceed And Excel) and Nimalee (So You Think), a winner of four of her six starts.
Dezign’s dam Elegant Fashion (Danewin) was a top filly in Australia, winning three Group 2 races and finishing second in the AJC Australian Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m). However, it was in Hong Kong where she really made her mark, becoming the only filly to win the Hong Kong Derby (Listed, 2000m) in the modern era, while she was placed in three international Group 1 races and four local Group 1 races in her time in the city.
Elegant Fashion, who died in 2018, produced the Group 1-placed Star Fashion (Street Cry) among five foals to race. The family traces back to influential broodmare Highclere (Queen’s Hussar), who is Sauvestre’s fourth dam.
Bred by Cressfield, who bought Dezign privately after she was withdrawn from the 2008 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Sauvestre was offered at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. He was purchased for $500,000 by Aquis Farm.