Another spring prospect for Savabeel

Windsor Park stallion Savabeel sired another spring prospect when Sangster (NZ) scored a promising victory at Warwick Farm on Tuesday.

Scarlett Lady (NZ) headlines Savabeel’s spring team and she will be the focus of all eyes on either side of the Tasman this Saturday.  The Graeme Rogerson trained mare reappears in the G1 Makfi Challenge at Hastings.

Sangster (3g Savabeel – Quinta Special by Spectrum) will target the G1 Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick before joining Scarlett Lady and the rest of the Kiwi raiders in Melbourne.

Trainer Trent Busuttin reckons the lightly-raced gelding will only keep improving after his impressive display in the Free Entry Today Hcp (1200m) on Tuesday.  “It’s hard to get a gauge on midweek opposition,” Busuttin said.  “But he’s bred to be a 2400 metre horse so he probably shouldn’t be winning over 1200 metres.

“The good three year-olds will be in Melbourne for the Caulfield Guineas which makes the Spring Champion a realistic alternative.  And if it rains, which it can do in Sydney, all the better.”

Sangster won on debut by six lengths at Hawera in May and the Warwick Farm victory was just the third time he faced the starter.  Windsor Park catalogued him for the 2010 NZ Bloodstock Select yearling sale but he failed to make a $25,000 reserve.

Savabeel got him from Irish bred mare Quinta Special who won over 1800m at Wolverhampton in November 2002 before arriving in New Zealand the following year.

Second dam Al Galop (Affirmed) was a 2200m winner at Longchamp and she is a half-sister to Santa Anita Group 1 winner Both Ends Burning.

Quinta Special has a Savabeel filly that will be eligible for the 2012 NZB Karaka yearling sale.

Jockey James McDonald has been booked to ride both Scarlett Lady and Sangster this spring.  “Sangster’s form was really good back home and he’s been working like a good horse,” McDonald said at Warwick Farm.  “Wait until we get him over 2000 metres!”