The honesty and class of Savatiano earned her a G1 success that could hardly have been more deserved in the Canterbury Stakes at Randwick on Saturday, 6 March.
And on a card that featured some of the final lead-ups to the G1 Golden Slipper Stakes, Anamoe staked his claim on the world’s richest two-year-old race with a resolute victory in the G2 Todman Stakes.
For Savatiano, a win at the supreme level followed five G2 successes, another at G3 and yet another at Listed level, all of which had earned her more than $2 million in prize money.
While she had been in contention in G1 races previously, she had fallen just short, but on Saturday she seized her opportunity long before they reached the line.
After taking up a position just behind the two leaders, jockey Hugh Bowman allowed Savatiano to stride up three-wide with 400m to run.
The mare sailed to the from inside the 300m and then had to dig in to hold off the runner-up Mizzy, surviving by a half head with Masked Crusader in third place.
Savatiano is a member of the final Australian crop of the inimitable Street Cry who is best remembered in this country as the Darley sire of the world champion Winx.
She also has the honour of being Godolphin’s first G1 winner worldwide for 2020, a feat achieved on the same day last year by her stablemate Bivouac who finished fourth behind her on Saturday.
Trainer James Cummings admitted he and his team had left Savatiano in the race as a back-up to Bivouac, knowing she would be capable of stepping up if she had the opportunity.
“We tossed and turned about whether to run her against the colt (Bivouac),” he said.
“We thought that if he got a couple of things wrong and was vulnerable then we might as well have the horse to come along and beat him.”
“She had a perfect preparation for this race, she was the deserving winner… she demonstrated all her G1 courage.”
For Anamoe, greater glory looms following a win that thrust him into Golden Slipper discussions, at the same time denting a couple of other prospects in an event that ranks as Australia’s sire-making race.
Anamoe, a son of Darley stallions’ Street Boss, had raced four times previously, winning a Listed race in Melbourne last November and finishing a luckless third in the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield two weeks ago.
“He’s a classy colt no doubt about that,” said Cummings.
“We barely breathed on the horse since he got back from Melbourne.”
“He’s got Golden Slipper written all over him. That will take most of our attention over the next couple of weeks.”
