Chris Johnson on Savvy Coup, at the Livamol Classic, Bostock New Zealand Spring Racing Carniva at Hawke's Bay Racecourse. Photo / Hawke's Bay Today
It didn't take long for Team Pitman to get over Savvy Coup's disappointing Cox Plate performance.
The only New Zealand-trained horse in the race won by racing great Winx was the last of the seven finishers at Moonee Valley. Kings Will Dream, who failed to finish, was later found to
have a fractured pelvis.
But while there was no victory at the Valley, the Pitmans were still celebrating later on Saturday night as they welcomed a new addition to the family. Co-trainer Matthew Pitman missed the race because he stayed home as he and partner Patricia welcomed their son Benjamin John Pitman into the world. The newest Pitman was born at 11.40pm.
While Savvy Coup over-raced badly in the middle stages of the Cox Plate she will now return to her own sex in the A$300,000 Matriarch Stakes, a group two 2000m, at Flemington on November 10.
Her failure continued a woeful Victorian spring for the New Zealand raiders with Botti ruling himself out of the Victoria Derby with a poor showing in the Vase and Ladies First well-beaten in the Moonee Valley Cup. Botti's stablemate Rubira is also out of the VRC Oaks after a substandard last-start fifth.
