Savvy Racing Gears Up for Landmark Day

Media Release - Friday September 18

With runners in two stakes races, the opening day of the Hawke’s Bay Spring Carnival at Hastings looms as a landmark moment in the short history of syndicator Savvy Racing.

Proven black-type performer Pinmedown will begin a new campaign in Saturday’s Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m), while the Gr.3 Hawke’s Bay Breeders Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) will provide an early test for promising filly Tokorangi’s credentials for this season’s age-group features.

Pinmedown - image Trish Dunnell

Both horses are part-owned by a Savvy Racing syndicate, both are trained at Matamata by Michael Moroney and Pam Gerard, and both will be ridden by Cameron Lammas.

Savvy Racing was established by Keith and Janice McDonald less than four years ago with their first purchase at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale at Karaka in November 2016. As he made his way towards Hawke’s Bay on Friday, Keith McDonald reflected on a rapid rise.

“Having runners in two big stakes races on the same day is so exciting for us,” he said. “As a syndicator, these are the days on the New Zealand calendar that you really want to be involved in.

“When we started up Savvy Racing only a few years ago, it was a dream to get our owners to a Group race with one horse. To have two on the same day is absolutely incredible.

“It’s been great to bring so many people into horse ownership already, many of them for the very first time. With Tokorangi in particular, probably half of the syndicate are first-time owners. It’s hugely exciting for them.

“A few of those owners will be there on Saturday – as many as possible, given the limited capacity on course at the moment. But I’m sure the rest will be glued to their TV screens all around the country.”

Racing featured prominently in McDonald’s upbringing, with family members involved in ownership, training, breeding and even as a raceday starter. He is also a successful businessman with extensive customer-facing experience, and Savvy Racing brings both of those things together.

Another point of difference of the Savvy syndicates is their unique rugby flavour. McDonald is a keen follower of the sport and has spent more than a decade coaching at representative and premier club level.

Advertisement

“Each syndicate has a rugby region as a theme to it,” he said. “Tokorangi is the Steelers, which is Counties Manukau, while Pinmedown is the Blues. It’s a bit of fun to have these rugby region themes for our syndicates, but it doesn’t mean that all of the owners have to come from that region. With all our horses, the owners are spread out all over the place. We welcome anyone who wants to be involved.”

Savvy Racing has had six starters to date, three of them winners with Pinmedown the headline act. As a three-year-old, the classy daughter of Pins won the Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) and Gr.3 Sunline Vase (2100m).

Van Diamond and Tokorangi have also won races, the latter by six and a half lengths in a spectacular performance at Matamata in January. That was only her second career start.

“We’re so excited to see what Pinmedown and Tokorangi can do at Hastings on Saturday,” McDonald said. “The build-up has gone really well for both horses. Mike and Pam are really happy with them.

“Obviously it’s the first run back from a long break for both horses, so there are other runners in those races who have a bit more fitness under their belts.

“But Tokorangi won really well at Matamata in her last campaign, so we’re very excited about what could be in store for her. We’re expecting her to be competitive on Saturday, and I’m sure Pinmedown will be running on strongly at the end of her race as well.”

McDonald is hoping to continue Savvy Racing’s growth, with shares currently available in two-year-old fillies by Burgundy and Wrote in partnership with Ballymore Stables.

“Hopefully it’ll be onwards and upwards for us from here,” McDonald said. “We’ve got another couple of horses advertised recently, two really lovely fillies for people to get involved with.

“We’d certainly like Savvy Racing to continue to grow into the future, and obviously a good result on Saturday would give us a bit of a helping hand.” – NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
2025 Group I Belmont Stakes - Godolphin Celebrate Victory in Triple Crown Finale
Back in May, Godolphin had a rare magical 48 hours when they won the Group I Newmarket 1000 and 2000 Guineas, plus the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks with all four of those star three year-olds scheduled to race over the last 48 hours – so how did they fare?
G1 Pedigree Watch – Blueblood 3YOs Win Queensland Classics
A funny thing happened at Eagle Farm on Saturday when both the Group I BRC Queensland Derby (2400m) and Oaks (2200m) were won by 20-1 shots that had never won a stakes race, but they had two interesting things in common and that was very famous families and the Epsom Derby winner High Chaparral!
Debut Zoustar 2YO Winner Brings Catalogue Update
Bjorn Baker, Rachel King and Zoustar combined to win the 2YO fillies maiden at Canterbury on Monday with well bred Zoustar filly Pillow Fight, who has a half-sister to be offered at the Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale on Friday.
Vale bloodstock agent Michael Wallace
The New Zealand and international thoroughbred industries are mourning the loss of Michael Wallace, who passed away in the United States on Saturday night.
Brighthill Farm Buoyant Ahead of Weanling Sale
NZB’s National Weanling Sale has been a popular stage for boutique vendors Brighthill Farm, who produced the top-priced lot at last year’s Sale when a filly by Satono Aladdin was knocked down to Gary Harding for $180,000.
Twin Hills Showcase Daumier at Inglis Great Southern
Twin Hills Stud are headed to Victoria this week for the Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale (June 13) with a draft of 18 and eight of them are from the first crop of the farm’s young sire Daumier.
Yulong Win G1 Met Mile at Saratoga
Yulong have made high profile bloodstock investments all over the world and while they have a US trained miler headed to Royal Ascot in Carl Spackler (IRE), they have another currently racing in North America and Raging Torrent carried their colours to victory at a rain soaked Saratoga to win the Group I Metropolitan Mile (1m).
Sires With Winners - Saturday June 7
Here is the full list of 123 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Sires With Winners - Sunday June 8
Here is the full list of 70 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Levendi Thriving at Magnum Park in Tasmania
Magnum Park is proud to announce that their well credentialled young stallion Levendi will stand at the Old Beach property this spring.