Athletic Queenslander launches Melbourne campaign

Ben Dorries - Tuesday August 1

Queenslander Savanna Amour was well backed before the postponed Bletchingly Stakes but trainer John Meagher will be delighted if his mare can simply run into the placings in the Group III race on Sunday.

Advertisement
Savanna Amour sticks her head out to win a Group II race at Caulfield in February Photo: Darryl Sherer

Savanna Amour firmed from $14 into $9 last Saturday but never got a crack at them when the Caulfield meeting was called off due to high winds before the Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) was run.

The race has now been absorbed into Sunday's Grand National Hurdle meeting at Sandown and Savanna Amour will line up.

The four-year-old mare, a dual Group winner, will have her first look at Sandown on Wednesday morning when she has a spin around the track.

Savanna Amour will be having her first start since winning the Group III Gold Coast Guineas in May, with syndicator Grant Morgan spelling her during the main portion of the Queensland Winter carnival as he feared she would not handle the controversial Eagle Farm track.

Savanna Amour will be tackling open-age racing for the first time in the Bletchingly Stakes and Meagher is convinced the Love Conquers All mare has the class to be competitive.

But he warned that her main mission was a crack at the Group I Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on September 2.

"She is very athletic but perhaps she is not quite at 100 percent fitness for the Bletchingly," Meagher said.

"I would love her to sit back in the race and if she ran on into the first two or three I would be very happy.

"If she happened to win it would be a bonus.

"The Tatt's Tiara during the Queensland winter would have been an ideal race but we decided to spell her.

"The good thing is she is a lightly-raced mare with a lot of upside and it is a positive that we have been able to be very patient with her."

Savanna Amour's connections are keen to target the Memsie as it is a starting off point for many horses who have bigger Spring goals and may not be fully wound up on the day.

"I hope we can get two or three runs out of Savanna Amour in the next little while in Melbourne and then perhaps give her a spell and bring her back for some races at the other end of the carnival," Meagher said.

Savanna Amour will be ridden in the Bletchingly by Golden Slipper-winning jockey Ben Melham.

Meanwhile, two-time Group I winner Yankee Rose won her most recent trial, at the Sunshine Coast, as the star mare prepares for a first-up tilt at the Memsie Stakes.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Pride of Jenni to Visit I Am Invincible - Match Made in Heaven
Three-time Champion Sire I Am Invincible has been confirmed as the first mating for reigning Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year Pride Of Jenni, who will head to the breeding barn this season following a phenomenal racing career.
Wootton Bassett 2YOs on the March
Wootton Bassett’s star Northern Hemisphere two year-old Albert Einstein has been ruled out of Royal Ascot with a sprained joint that will require a few weeks off, but the red hot sire added two more talented debut winning juvenile colts at The Curragh overnight.
Sires With Winners - Wednesday June 4
Here is the full list of 48 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Stakes Performed Zousain Filly Too Good At Doomben
Third in the Listed Calaway Stakes two starts back, lightly raced two-year-old Zousain filly Sweet Pretender produced the goods at Doomben, charging late to win the Mullins Lawyers QTIS Two-Year-Old Maiden Plate (1350m).
Written By Filly Dominates Warwick Farm Juvenile Contest
First seen at the two-year-old trials back in September, Marc Conners’ chestnut filly Penpel (Written By) produce a quality effort at just her second racetrack appearance, racing clear at Warwick Farm to score by more than three lengths.
Firmer the better for Savannah Amour
A firmer surface and a gear change made the winning difference to Savanna Amour in Saturday’s Group III Cockram Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.
Second Winner For Ghaiyyath As Observer Scores By Five
Second on debut when just three parts of a length off the winner at Pakenham, the James Cummings’ trained Observer (Ghaiyyath) looked sensational as he made a mess of his rivals to score over 1400m in the Tile Importer Handicap on the Sandown Lakeside course.
Blueblood Import - American-Bred Jillaroo Records First Win
Purchased at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale by Ciaron Maher, the now 4yo mare Jillaroo (USA) (Curlin) initially started her racing career in the United States but after an Australian debut second at Caulfield in early May, recorded her maiden victory at Doomben.
Frosty Girl impressive on debut
The Chris Waller-trained Frosty Girl made the perfect start to her career when coming from last to land the Asahi Super Dry Plate (1300m) on debut at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.
$1500 Weanling Becomes $525,000 Top Lot at MM National Yearling Finale
A colt by Harry Angel set a new benchmark in Australia for his sire and topped the final day of the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale when selling for $525,000 to conclude a hugely successful two weeks of sales.