After looking to be the first horse beaten approaching the home turn, the Savabeel colt Forgot You rallied late to edge out Mr Mozart in Friday night’s $300,000 Group II Aspect Kitchens Stutt Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley.
A stunning individual, Forgot You enjoyed the run of the race one out, one back under Daniel Moor.
When the sprint was on at the 600m Forgot You looked to be struggling.
When eased to the centre of the track the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained colt charged home to defeat the flashy Snitzel colt Mr Mozart by a half-head with the Press Statement colt Daily Bugle a neck back in third.
When he won at his most recent start over 1500m on the same track, we questioned whether we had just seen the Victoria Derby winner.
He will head that way but is likely to contest the Caulfield Guineas on the way through.
The stable has a high enough opinion of the son of Savabeel to enter him in the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup in addition to the Guineas.
“You never know. Better to pay early than the late fee later on,” Young said.
“Sometimes these horses step up and you put them in those races. You can’t win them if you’re not in them.
“He looked he was starting to get a flat spot at the top of the corner and I thought ‘oh he’s going to drop out here’, but to his credit he got him some room and he just knew where that finishing post was.
“When you’re winning a Group II here over a mile, you’ve got to have a crack at the Caulfield Guineas. He’s a colt, you never know, and you can step him out (in trip) after that.
“There was pretty good tempo then they slowed up a little bit. I think he just takes a bit to get around that corner and then once he does balance up, he’s away.
Moor said he was awake to Forgot You hitting a flat spot.
“I tried taking that out of the equation tonight, Moor said.
“I sort of floated along and half-carted down the side, just didn’t want one to flush and go earlier.
“I tried to get him to pick up again and he just won’t have a bar of it. But I’m not concerned, because ultimately his grand final isn’t now. The lids off a little bit, I can say we are going towards the Derby, I’m just happy he’s switching off well enough.”
Forgot You was purchased by Busuttin Racing for $330,000 from the Ohukia Lodge draft at the 2020 Inglis Ready 2 Race Sale after being withdrawn from the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale and the NZB Karaka Yearling Sale.
Bred by Waikato Stud’s Garry Chittick, Forgot You comes from one of Waikato Stud’s most revered families.
He is the second foal and second winner out of the winning O’Reilly mare Simply You a three-quarter sister to stakes-winners Escadaire, Bonny O’Reilly and Group II winner Rare Insight, dam of Group 1 Coolmore Classic winner Steps In Time.
Simply You is a daughter of Group 1 winner Glamour Puss a half-sister to Group 1 Doncaster hcp and Group 1 George Ryder stakes winner Vision and Power.
Simply You has had a tough time of it of late. She missed in 2019 and her filly foal by Savabeel died.
The daughter of O’Reilly was covered by Super Seth last spring.
Forgoy You becomes the 116th stakes winner for waikato Stud's Savabeel.
