CHEVAL SAVANT Shows Grit to Snatch Victory From Jaws of Defeat

14 Jan 24

Dynamic Syndications galloper CHEVAL SAVANT (4yo gelding by SAVABEEL from PASSION CHEVAL) scored a courageous win at Canberra on Friday 12 January, when ridden by Billy Owen.

Our Ciaron Maher trained horse showed toughness to score by 0.23 length over 2000m in a time of 2:02.23 (600m 37.65).

CHEVAL SAVANT won Race 6 the RICKY STUART FOUNDATION Plate 2000m.

CHEVAL SAVANT took his career record to 11 Starts: 2:1:2 and Prizemoney: $76,450.

His two wins are at 1857m and 2000m.

CHEVAL SAVANT (59.0kgs / $3.90 into $2.50 fav) was wearing blinkers for the first time and that resulted in our horse once hitting the front, thinking his race was over. However, he was headed and by the runner-up Blind Date at the 150m mark, and that runner went to a half-length advantage with 125m to run.

As soon as CHEVAL SAVANT could see the horse to his outside, he concentrated again, and under hands and heels he picked-up the bit and charged to the line to recapture the lead and forge away to score easily.

The race had panned out well for us from the start. Jumping away from barrier 7 in a field of 12, Billy was asked to roll forward and take up a prominent position. As the field passed the winning post the first time, Billy had steered across to be one off the fence at the girth of the leader, before pressure from out deeper on the track resulted in a mad scramble from two 100/1 pops and a 15/1 chance. They put a fast tempo into the event and by the time the field had swung into the back straight, it was like the leaders thought they were in a 1000m race rather than a 2000m event.

Billy had put CHEVAL SAVANT into a lovely trailing position with the field at the halfway position spread out over 20 lengths and our runner was in the running line, one off the fence, 3 pairs back, 4 lengths off the speed.

As the field turned down the side at the 700m the race began to change complexion, as runners from back in the pack started to swoop early as the leading division started to yield ground. Passing the 650m this flushed out CHEVAL SAVANT as Billy didn’t want to be stuck in behind tiring horses and be caught in a pocket as swoopers came around us.

Billy angled out 4 deep and moved up on the point of the turn and as they balanced up for the run home with 350m to go CHEVAL SAVANT strode up to take the lead.

This was a “ying and yang” situation. Our horse with blinkers first time was now left in front a long way from home with nothing to follow. Despite Billy urging him along, you could see at the 200m that CHEVAL SAVANT switched off and pricked his ears having a look around as if saying to himself that he had done his job and he was now their for fun.

150m

That’s when he slowed and passing the 150m, Blind Date went past, and then our boy concentrated again and zoomed back and took control to win strongly through the line.

50m

25m

It gave punters a few heart palpitations, but connections were always confident the horse would do the job and that proved the case.

Win

CHEVAL SAVANT was beautifully placed in this event, a Class 1 and Maiden Plate. He was a country Bm68 rated horse and his closest peer was a Bm62 who he met at level weights (3.0kgs = 2 lengths worse at the weights). There were five Class 1 horses and 7 Maidens in the field.

CHEVAL SAVANT had been a dual acceptor on the day having also been put in Race 1 the 1600m Class 3 as an insurance policy but the 2000m was always our preferred option. When the fields came out it was a no brainer that the 2000m was to connections the put in takeout race and at weights and measures, the punters got it right and CHEVAL SAVANT did the rest, despite the blood pressure of supporters rising from the 200m mark to the 50m mark.

JOB DONE.

It was another winner trained for Team Dynamic by the Ciaron Maher Racing Team.

Congratulations to our terrific team of loyal Owners that race CHEVAL SAVANT: Dynamic Syndications Racing, Mr S Troughton, Mrs N M Gunn, Mr P Jones, Mrs E Hanna, Two & A Half Pensioners, Mr W J Lake, Mr G Cornell, Mr M C Smith, Mr D J Hughes, Mr KM Dowling, Kenny Win, Mr L A Lindsell, Dynamic no. 136, Dynamic no. 137, Mr M A Wolens, Bimbadeen Racing, Mrs H L Hohn.

Cheval Savant recorded Dynamic Syndications 864th Race Win overall and our 36th Race Win for the current season and our 1st Win for the new calendar year.

Onwards and Upwards !