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Home / Hawkes Bay Today

Horse Racing: Injury forces Savvy Dreams' retirement

By John Jenkins
Hawkes Bay Today·
2 Aug, 2018 09:00 PM8 mins to read

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Savvy Dreams pictured following her impressive win in a Rating 75 race over 1200m at Hastings.

Savvy Dreams pictured following her impressive win in a Rating 75 race over 1200m at Hastings.

Talented Hastings-trained mare Savvy Dreams has run her last race.

The Savabeel mare suffered serious tendon damage to one of her forelegs when finishing third in a 1000m jumpout at Hastings on July 20.

A scan of the leg revealed a hole in one area of the tendon and a stretch in another.

Savvy Dreams has been returned to Cambridge owner Tony Rider's Milan Park Stud in Cambridge and is now likely to be mated later this year.

"It is devastating news for all concerned," said co-trainer Guy Lowry, who prepared the mare in partnership with Grant Cullen.

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He added that it would be at least another 12 months before any real pressure could be put on the leg again and there is no guarantee that she would be able to stand another racing preparation.

"She would be at least a 6-year-old before she could race again and, being a Group 1 placegetter, she is too valuable as a broodmare to take any risks with," he added.

Savvy Dreams only had 14 starts for two wins, a second, two thirds and four fourths.

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She finished a game third behind Bonneval and Devise in last year's Group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham and also recorded Group 1 fourth placings in the South Australian Derby (2500m) in Adelaide, the Thorndon Mile (1600m) at Trentham and Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa.

Timely return to winning form

Locally Sauced, part-owned by Hastings woman Irene Downey and her son Josh, returned to winning form after a nine month absence with a dominant performance at Timaru last Friday.

The 6-year-old Iffraaj gelding led throughout in an $11,000 Rating 85 race over 2100m and never looked like being headed.

Promising apprentice Jasmine Fawcett rated him perfectly in front, setting only a moderate pace in the early and middle stages before applying the pressure just before the home turn.

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Locally Sauced was still full of running when he straightened for the run home and raced right away from five rivals to score by 6-1/4 lengths.

It was Locally Sauced's sixth win but his first since taking out a Rating 85 over 2100m at Ashburton in October last year.

At that stage he was being touted as a prime candidate for the New Zealand Cup the following month but he failed to see out the 3200m distance of that race, finishing 10th out of 12.

Locally Sauced is trained by Waiuku couple Grant and Tana Shaw, who have made a number of successful trips to the South Island with their horses in recent years.

Survived put down

Hawke's Bay-bred Group 1 winner Survived had to be humanely euthanised after breaking a leg in a race in Adelaide, Australia, last week.

The 8-year-old gelding fractured his near hind cannon bone about 600m from the finish of a 2400m race at Morphettville on July 21. It was his 65th race start.

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Survived recorded 11 wins, eight seconds and four thirds and amassed stake earnings of more than $500,000.

His last victory was in the A$50,000 Mt Gambier Cup (2400m) last December.

Survived was bred by Hawke's Bay's Don Gordon and began his racing career from the Hastings stable of John Bary.

He prepared the horse for his first seven wins, including the Group 1 Makfi Challenge Stakes (1400m) at Hastings in August 2013 as well as Group 3 successes in the Manawatu Breeders Classic, Hawke's Bay Cup and Tauranga Classic.

After being sidelined with an injury for several months, Survived was then trained briefly by Kelly Burne in Hastings before owner Don Gordon sold him to a group of Australians in January 2016 and the horse was transferred to the stable of Melbourne trainer Archie Alexander.

He prepared him for another four wins, including three consecutive Mt Gambier Cup victories.

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HB awards night

This year's annual Hawke's Bay & Poverty Bay Racing Awards function will be held on Friday, August 31.

This is the night before the first day of the Hawke's Bay spring carnival race meeting at Hastings and is sure to attract plenty of interest.

The awards function, hosted by the Hawke's Bay-Poverty Bay Owners and Breeders Associations, in conjunction with Hawke's Bay Racing, will be held in the Cheval Rooms at the Hastings racecourse from 6.30pm.

Tickets can be purchased from the Hawke's Bay Racing office at a price of $85/head.

For further inquiries phone Gayle Richardson (06) 873-4545 or email gayle@hawkesbayracing.co.nz

Wait A Sec on comeback trail

Group 1 winner Wait A Sec is back in light training as he continues his rehabilitation from a tendon injury suffered preparing for a tilt at this season's Group 1 Auckland Cup (3200m).

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The Guy Lowry and Grant Cullen-trained Group 1 Livamol Classic (2040m) winner has pleased connections with his progress, which could see him return to racing next year, perhaps for the Group 3 Anniversary Handicap (1600m) in January, a race he won this year.

"He suffered a tendon injury after he won at Wairoa, but he's rehabilitated well and the leg is looking good. His scans have been really encouraging," Lowry said.

"He's trotting five minutes a day on the treadmill and we'd expect him to be racing around anniversary time next year."

Stakes mission for Express

New Plymouth-trained filly London Express will be out to start the new season the way she ended her 2017-18 campaign.

The daughter of Shamexpress, part-owned by Havelock North's Tess Castles, took her record to two wins and two placings from four starts when coming with a strong finish to win the Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m) at Wanganui on June 2 before being sent out for a brief spell.

She is now being set for a return to racing in the Listed The O'Learys Fillies Stakes (1200m) at Wanganui on September 8.

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"She's done well with her break and she's on track for Wanganui," trainer Allan Sharrock said.

"I really like her and she'll be looking to get a mile in the spring. She'll follow the Filly of the Year series."

Cup placegetter disqualified

Wildflower has been stripped of her third placing in the Group1 Auckland Cup (3200m) in March this year.

Following the Ellerslie feature, the mare returned an elevated reading to cobalt, which was contained in a supplement that her trainers, Graham Richardson and Gavin Parker, administered in accordance with veterinary advice.

The Matamata trainers pleaded guilty to the rule breach and were fined $6000 by the Racing Integrity Unit.

As a result of Wildflower's disqualification, Alinko Prince has been promoted to third place in this year's Auckland Cup.

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Triple Crown winner retired

Justify, the 13th winner of America's famed Triple Crown, has been retired to stud.

The undefeated son of ill-fated US sire Scat Daddy was purchased at the 2016 Keeneland September yearling sale for the China Horse Club & Maverick Racing for US$500,000 by their buying team that consists of Cambridge bloodstock agent Michael Wallace, the China Horse Club's racing and bloodstock manager, along with Mick Flanagan and Tom Ryan of SF Bloodstock.

"Justify had some filling in his ankle, and he is just not responding quick enough for a fall campaign," trainer Bob Baffert said.

"We all wanted to see Justify run again, but ultimately it is my responsibility to make sure he is perfect. Without 60-90 days, I can't be definite."

The 3-year-old, who won four Group 1 races and nearly US$3.8 million in stakes, could join the stallion ranks of global giant Coolmore Stud.

Jockeys' fees increased

New Zealand riding fees will increase by 1.1 per cent in the new season.

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An agreement between NZTR and the New Zealand Jockeys' Association links any increase in the riding fee to the Consumers Price Index (CPI).

The new fee will be $145.23, excluding GST, for flat races, up from $143.65, and $197.10 for jumping races.

The trials fees for flat races will be $41.49 for apprentices and $62.24 for senior riders.

Zy's win for injured mate

Former Cambridge apprentice Zy Nor Azman dedicated his win on the Bruce Marsh-trained Mings Man at Kranji last Friday to his injured colleague Hairi Marzuki.

"I dedicate this win to Hairi," Nor Azman said after Mings Man prevailed.

"He's still in hospital, but he's a fighter and I wish him a quick recovery."

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Marzuki, who rode 19 winners when apprenticed to Stephen Marsh in Cambridge before transferring to Marsh's father in Singapore, is in the Intensive Care Unit at Singapore hospital after suffering a brain trauma in a race fall a couple of weeks ago.

The 31-year-old had surgery to remove a blood clot to his brain after falling from Chariots Of Fire on July 15, then had further surgery two days later to relieve pressure at the bottom of his fractured skull.

According to the latest Singapore report, he is conscious and communicates through writing notes to medical staff, family members and friends, who have been at his bedside since the fall.

When apprenticed to Ralph Manning at Cambridge, Nor Azman rode 29 winners before returning to Singapore.

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