Savabeel Stayer wins G3 Counties Cup

Media Release - Saturday November 23

Promising stayer Nereus put his current campaign back on track when he captured an action packed Gr.3 TAB Counties Cup (2100m) on Saturday.

The field of fourteen runners was thrown into chaos after 500m when Arby dropped rider Matt Cartwright after making contact with the inside running rail leaving the straight for the first time.

Nereus winning the Gr.3 TAB Counties Cup (2100m) at Pukekohe on Saturday.   Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)

Severely checked in the incident were Cognito, Blue Moon, Sassy Lass and Ess Vee Are while the rest of the field were also subsequently hampered as the riderless Ess Vee Are raced through the field to land in front of pacemakers Bosch and Quality Time, causing all riders to proceed with extreme caution from there on in.

While all this was happening Nereus and rider Joe Doyle enjoyed an economical run in midfield before improving wide on the home turn with the Te Akau Racing pair of Qali Al Farrasha and Cognito tracking him at every stride.

Nereus, sporting the well-known colours of the Chittick family, and Qali Al Farrasha set down to fight out the finish at the 150m with the Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray-trained son of Savabeel gaining the upper hand at the post by half a length with Cognito, who did a wonderful job to put himself into contention after the early check, shading The Odyssey for third.

Ritchie was delighted to take out the contest with the Waikato Stud homebred five-year-old who had made a mixed start to his spring campaign, forcing a slight tinkering with his race plans including dropping him back to 1600m at his last start before stepping up in distance again for the Counties feature.

“We backed off him and went back to the mile last time always thinking he would make a stayer,” Ritchie said.

“He just wasn’t there that last ten percent (lately), but the warmer temperature overnight has brought his coat through while he is a horse that goes best with his races spaced.

“He has really picked his appetite up in the last week so the signs were there he would go well and he has.

“It was a messy race with some hard luck stories I’m sure, but it is fantastic for Colm and I to have a horse like this winning in the Waikato Stud colours.

“They are obviously a big part of New Zealand racing and it is great to do it for Mark and George (Chittick) who are here at the track.”

Advertisement

Ritchie is keen to look ahead to more of the big Summer Cup races if the horse can continue on his development path.

“He has a magnificent pedigree being by a champion stallion who keeps producing and out of a fantastic mare,” he said.

“It suggests he is going to get to a Cups trip and it would be nice if we could get him to run two miles as there is a lot more money in those races.”

Doyle, who brought up a winning stakes double on the day after earlier taking the Listed Haunui Farm Counties Bowl (1100m) aboard Luberon, was pleased with how the race had panned out despite some challenges.

“I followed Ryan Elliot around (No Compromise) and didn’t think I was in a bad spot,” he said.

“I thought we’d be following something good and when the loose horse went around the speed was really on and that set it up nicely for us.

“Going down the back I thought we would be right in it and he was good and tough up the straight.

“The Te Akau horse (Qali Al Farrasha) went past him and he knuckled back down and got to the line.”

Nereus is out of Waikato Stud’s Pins mare Eudora, the dam of outstanding Group One winning filly Savvy Coup who is the older full sister of Nereus. Included in his extended family are stakes performers Ocean Emperor, Tootsie and Legless Veuve along with three-time Group One winner Probabeel.

He has now won six of his 14 starts and over $372,000 in prizemoney. - LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Advertisment

Race Result - TAB Counties Cup Gr3 2100m

Pukekohe Park Track: Good(4) Time: 2:09.92
1
Nereus
- 5g Savabeel (AUS) x Eudora (NZ) (Pins (AUS))
Tnr: S Ritchie & C Murray Rdr: Joe Doyle 53
2
0.5
Qali Al Farrasha
- 4m Almanzor (FR) x Nucleonic (NZ) (Burgundy (NZ))
Tnr: Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson Rdr: W F Pinn 53
3
2
Cognito
- 5g So You Think (NZ) x Lady Primrose (AUS) (More Than Ready (USA))
Tnr: Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson Rdr: V A Colgan 53
So You Think
MM Gold Coast National Yearling Sale $165,000
Seller: Baramul Stud, Widden Valley, NSW
Buyer: David Ellis/Andrew Williams Bloodstock Pty Ltd (FBAA)
4
2.3
The Odyssey
- 5g Zacinto (GB) x Macavelli Miss (AUS) (Vettori (IRE))
Tnr: Ben & Ryan Foote Rdr: C R Barnes 53
5
3.6
Quality Time
- 7g Amaron (GB) x Quintessa (GER) (Shirocco (GER))
Tnr: Ms K A Hoskin Rdr: G Rooke 53
6
4.9
No Compromise
- 8g Pins (AUS) x Baggy Green (AUS) (Galileo (IRE))
Tnr: W J Thurlow Rdr: R T Elliot 60
7
5.9
Terra Mitica
- 6m Ulysses (IRE) x Mississippi Delta (USA) (Giant's Causeway (USA))
Tnr: L R Noble Rdr: W B Kennedy 53
8
7.2
Sassy Lass
- 4m Staphanos (JPN) x Artic Breeze (NZ) (Keeper (AUS))
Tnr: L O'sullivan & A Scott Rdr: M Hashizume 53
9
7.4
Outovstock
- 4g Tavistock (NZ) x Orphea (AUS) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: C K Ormsby Rdr: Tayla Mitchell 53
10
8.9
Wolfgang
- 6g Puccini (NZ) x Navy Beach (NZ) (Darci Brahma (NZ))
Tnr: Peter & Shaun Mckay Rdr: M J Mc Nab 54
11
9.2
Blue Moon
- 7m Shocking (AUS) x Dawn Till Dusk (NZ) (Manntari (IRE))
Tnr: Ms M Falconer Rdr: N S Parmar 53
12
17.1
Ess Vee Are
- 6g Shocking (AUS) x Reiveke (NZ) (O'reilly (NZ))
Tnr: Darryn & Briar Weatherley Rdr: S R Weatherley 54.5
13
17.8
Bosch
- 6g Pentire (GB) x Highlight (NZ) (High Chaparral (IRE))
Tnr: Ms M L Bradley Rdr: K A Myers 53
More Reading...
Stakes Potential for New Hello Youmzain Winner
Late-season black type is on the radar for Platinum Diamond after an impressive upset victory in Saturday’s Full Circle Appearance Medicine 2YO (1200m) at Wanganui.
Kiwi Bred Campaldino Wins G3 for Darby
Promising New Zealand-bred stayer Campaldino passed his biggest test with flying colours at Eagle Farm on Saturday, stepping up to stakes company and adding the A$200,000 Gr.3 Living Turf Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m) to his winning sequence.
Bright Future for El Roca 3YO
Owner-trainer-breeder Kylie Little believes she might have a promising stayer on her hands with Eagle Rock, who left maiden ranks with an emphatic performance in Saturday’s Matt Edwards-Lime Group Mile (1600m) at Te Rapa.
First Local Win As New Endeavour (IRE) Records Stakes Success
While it may have taken the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained New Endeavour (IRE) a while to record his first Australian success, connections were rewarded for their patience as the 5yo dominated under Tim Clark to win the Group 3 BRC Lord Mayor’s Cup (1800m) at Eagle Farm.
Three Straight Stakes Wins For Cool Aza Beel’s Cool Archie
With no two-year-old currently performing better in Queensland, the Chirs and Corey Munce trained Cool Archie continued his outstanding form, taking out the $1m Group 2 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), his third consecutive black type victory.
Sires With Winners - Saturday May 31
Here is the full list of 116 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Savabeel Stayer to Target Queensland
Multiple Group-winner Nereus is being set for a Queensland campaign after powering into second in Saturday’s Listed Hawke’s Bay Cup (2200m) at Trentham.
Stud Colours Carried to Victory
It was a rewarding day for Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray at Cambridge on Wednesday, with the local training partnership heading home with a winning double.
When in Doubt Back a Frankel!
The $200,000 Listed ATC Lord Mayor’s Cup (2000m ) at Rosehill on Saturday attracted a competitive field of 14 stayers, the bulk of them imports and when you strike an open race like that it’s often wise to follow this piece of advice – when in doubt back a Frankel!
Hat-Trick for Trelawney Stud Blueblood Filly
Well-related Trelawney Stud filly Madiyya signed off her three-year-old season with a third straight win, this time over 1600m in the A$150,000 Rod Griffiths Handicap at Caulfield on Saturday.