It’s easy to wax lyrical about the deeds of Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott regarding their efforts in polishing SAVAPINSKI this preparation from a Class 1 provincial horse and in just 6 runs she is a dominant Gr2 winner:
However we may be seen to have a bit of a conflict of interest because we are naturally biased towards Savapinski and just how good she is.
However the press are not biased - They are known for calling a spade = a shovel.
Therefore we have recorded three various television resources and their media presenters as to what they had to say.
It gives you goosebumps – just how promising this mare actually is:
THOROUGHBRED WEEKLY (Sky Central - Sunday Morning Review)
Ron Dufficy said:
“Savapinski – isn’t this the most improved mare in Australia !
"This is a pretty good horse this Savapinski, she’s gone from strength to strength.
"It was a target race for her, typical Waterhouse-Bott style, they’ve had a great carnival and this horse, primed up for today and simply toys with them over the 2000m.”
Live Race Coverage by RACING.COM
Matthew Hill – Racecaller:
• Savapinski out wide completes the line in the 7 News Matriarch Stakes Group 2, there is 11 of them to run.
• Racing immediately, ….. out wide pushing up is Savapinski.
• Heading towards the 1600 metres, a bit of pressure upfront but eventually SAVAPINSKI is * going to lead by two lengths over Token Of Love …..”
• So the leader Savapinski at the 1200 by 2 lengths, keeps them running from Token Of Love …..”
• So the leader Savapinski at the 700 metres by a length, second Token of Love …..”
• As they reach the 450 its Savapinski from Token of Love,
• But Savapinski kicks – 200 metres to go, Savapinski 3 lengths in front from Token Of Love, Tahanee, Prompt Response, Payroll, Heavens Above.
• But Savapinski with 100 metres to go has a big margin on them, 3 lengths in front of Payroll, Token Of Love,
• And it’s all SAVAPINSKI – she bolts in, second Payroll, third Token Of Love, fourth Prompt Response
• SAVAPINSKI – Brenton Avdulla, has absolutely given them an exhibition here today - that was a clinic
• Savapinski trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott has lead all of the way, set to do a little bit of work to get to the front, but then she was able to run the race the way she likes, beautiful front running ride Brenton Avdulla, we know he’s capable of those.
• That’s been a terrific performance by Savapinski, she’s a real talent, and capping off what’s been a terrific week for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.
• Supported as well - $5.50 into $4.80 – Win 4 at start number 7 – the Savabeel mare for Dynamic Syndications.
• 10 – 5 – 9 – 2 confirmed Payroll second, third Token Of Love the time 2:01.59
• Let’s here now from Brenton Avdulla !
Upon pulling up – a horseback interview by Dean Pettit with Brenton Avdulla
Dean Pettit said: Well Brenton Avdulla - daring ride from you but GAI WATERHOUSE / ADRIAN BOTT how good is MUM (Gai) going !
Brenton Avdulla: MUMS going terrific and Adrian too, but look I don’t know what to say about her – I won on this horse at Hawkesbury one day, and I said to them ‘she won’t be at her peak until 2000 metres’ but they just kept holding her back, hasn’t got to 2000m yet but they obviously had her set for Grand Final Day today, and they knew that two months ago - but I didn’t know it, they had her prepped and ready to go today - she’s just tough this horse – lacks a turn of foot (not a sprinter), Gai always use to tell me, there are plenty of good horses that are one paced, a classic example is this girl.
Dean Pettit: From the time the gates opened, I watched you – you were positive, you were riding her along, you wanted to be upfront but you were seemingly able to drop them in a couple of strides at the top of the straight.
Brenton Avdulla: Yeah – they were pretty adamant they wanted me to lead, the fly in the ointment was Stephen Baster (Token Of Love), he likes to roll along on MUMS (Gai’s) and Adrian’s horses, so he was on a mare that was pretty quick herself, so I had to get going and flow along, but I just kept building the tempo from the 1000 onwards and she dropped them around the bend and the polish kicked in late – she was too good for them.
Dean Pettit: A super day for DYNAMIC SYNDICATIONS - Dean and Adam, we know how hard they work, they bring a lot of people into racing and of course, they have had a lot of success with SAVABEEL the sire, so this ties in nicely this result.
Brenton Avdulla: It does - any result during the four-day carnival is good but obviously - they’ve had a good week and its lovely to ride another winner.
Crossing back to the Racing.Com Commentators Shane Anderson and David Gately:
Shane Anderson: Super performance by this daughter of SAVABEEL – SAVAPINSKI from the Pins mare SWAROVSKI, that’s now 4 wins from 7 career starts, and an all-important win today in the $300,000 Group 2, 7 NEWS Matriarch Stakes, today’s first prize of $180,000 takes her to $265,000 and I think she has a big future because she has run pretty good time for the 2000 metres 2:01.59 she just kept rolling along in front.
David Gately (Gator): Yeah that’s right, it’s a slick gallop and she did it all herself at just her 7th career start, first go out to 2000 metres, but she ate it up, she lapped it up and landed a good strong gallop and just kept running – it’s a one-horse race. Payroll ran home well, Token Of Love at big odds has battled along well to keep third.
But its all about the winner here – she was dominant, 2¾ lengths the margin a length back to third and 10 – 5 – 9 – 2 the numbers.
Savapinski a dominant winner of the Group 2 Matriarch Stakes which has been a good guide for future stars over the journey in the likes of Lucina Valentina, but Savapinski has a really nice future I think and just the 7 starts, the least experienced out of all the runners in the race but gave them a galloping lesson and broken 2:02 a very, very useful gallop.
The Waterhouse Bott Team continuing their fabulous carnival here at Flemington this week.
Shane now interviews Gai for RACING.COM
Shane Anderson – Gai what a carnival you’ve been having !
Gai – It’s fantastic, they said we’ve won the Trainer award for training the most winners - that’s something I’ve never done before, so I am thrilled, I’m absolutely thrilled.
Shane – It’s been an amazing to see the progression of this lightly raced mare of yours, its only her 7th start today and that was a thumping win.
Gai – She’s a mare on the rise, and I just thought this race, I targeted it for her for a while, I thought she’d be very hard to beat, I knew if Brenton used her speed, that they may not run her down, she just skipped away didn’t she – she was like a little bunny rabbit !
Shane – She could make considerable progression over the next 12 months or so because she is so lightly raced ?
Gai – I think so, I think so - we will come back and win this race again next year !
Shane – Why not ? it’s quite fitting for the First Lady of Australian Racing to be winning the Big Fillies and Mares races at the end of the Carnival.
Gai – Absolutely – thanks Shane !
CHANNEL 7 – Live Coverage
Bruce McAvaney: Well done to Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott and Brenton Avdulla - he famously won the Oaks here last year with a big salute, it was a similar ride in a way, but on a horse today that was a lot more fancied, but you know what – a big future for this Savabeel 4yo mare, this mare is going places, she’s already got to a good place today, hasn’t she !
Richard Freedman: She sure has – she’s got that black-type they’d be looking for her, she’s worth a lot more now in the breeding barn than she ever was. She got a reasonably soft lead, coasted along in front, when asked for the effort, there was plenty there - wow.
Francesca Cumani: You say she got a soft lead – I was looking at the sectional timing - going they were running along quick, rattling along at a good tempo, and kept thinking - gosh she will have to come back to them and really, normally when they do go that fast in front, there is something behind them that can take them on but no, she kept kicking and kicking and nothing could get near her.
Richard Freedman: She has run very good time here – 2:01.59 its very good time I have to say ! I just think the way Gai’s horses are racing at the moment, and the pattern that they race which is on the pace and kicking hard - which we see.
Bruce McAvaney: Well Gai with Adrian Bott has had a winner every day, pretty heady stuff – She (Savapinski) was very impressive, and you get good Matriarch Winners – and I reckon this is a very good one.
Richard Freedman: She’s a bit untapped only her second prep. She had one run and tipped out and she come back through a couple of provincial races, and she’s got a very big future I think
Francesca Cumani: Only her seventh lifetime start and a good strike rate, she has won half of her previous starts coming into this and - just another really tough Gai Waterhouse mare that’s done really well down here in Melbourne - the stable down here is absolutely flying.
Bruce McAvaney: It will be really interesting to see what her absolute target will be in the Autumn. There are some good mare races even the Queen Of The Turf at 1600 metres. I believe Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott are going to win Trainers Premiership for the Carnival, Gai hasn’t done that in her illustrious career to date - so they are on a roll.
Jason Richardson now interviews Gai Waterhouse:
Jason Richardson: That is a wonderful achievement, Bruce McAvaney was just saying in your amazing career, you’ve never been leading trainer at Flemington over the Carnival and that will be a fact now – congratulations
Gai: Ooh is that so – ever, ever, ever ! and you know we only have 16 horses in the stable here so it’s a real feather in the cap in the boys and girls I work with, I’m so proud of them and to date – this little mare, started as a restricted horse and she just - I knew today that having the speed, they might not run her down and Brenton’s already ridden a double - a win on Thursday, so I said to him you know where the winning post is
Jason: No doubt about that – And you’ve won it for Dynamic with Dean Watt and a Big Team of Owners and that’s even better !
Gai: I was dodging Dean when we won because I thought - if he cuddled me he might squash me to death !
Jason: Hahahaha and we are up here (grandstand) and I feel like the Queens up here on her throne looking out over Flemington
Gai: Well its very nice, it’s a beautiful track to be on, and that straight – isn’t it a testing straight !
Jason: That’s right and your horses are so tough it suits them. You are officially now the Queen of Flemington !
Gai: I thank you Jason – Thank you very much !
CHANNEL 7 Post race review:
Bruce McAvaney: It was a good gallop and Savapinski was off and rolling, Token Of Love we can see and Payroll but Savapinski really put them to the sword.
Francesca Cumani: She really did – I was surprised to see her kick away from them with such ease – Token Of Love was brave following her throughout most of the run, Payroll the most eye catching of them running on but no – it was all Savapinski’s day - we weren’t sure how the picture looked going into this race but it’s clear now !
Richard Freedmen: Well Payroll was an excellent run give that she had a break between runs here and was stepping up in distance so that was a good training effort to get her to do that but really, it was one race here and one race behind her because she was in a world of her own - Savapinski.
Bruce McAvaney: I don’t think she is going to come back and win a Melbourne Cup Savapinski but I think she could be a serious horse.
Richard Freedman: There’s a nice race in her I’m sure this won’t be the last Group or Listed race that she wins. But really - there were two races there – the winner was in one and the rest were in the other.