Savacool has upstaged her more fancied stablemates to continue Chris Waller’s recent run of success in the Listed Rowley Mile at Hawkesbury.
Sydney’s premier trainer has now won three of the past five renewals of the 1600 metre feature, Savacool adding her name to the list when she stormed home from the back to overhaul the leaders.
The mare had been placed in a string of stakes races but stable representative Charlie Duckworth said the victory was an important boost to her residual value.
“Great to get the win on the board. Obviously she has got plenty of black-type placings in Group races but to get a Listed win is very important for her as a mare,” Duckworth told Sky Thoroughbred Central.
“Winning today she showed plenty of zip so it leaves us with plenty of options for her preparation ahead.”
Tommy Berry rode a patient race on Savacool ($9) and her win gave the in-form hoop a double on the program, a day after he landed a winning treble at Canterbury.
She scored by a half-length over Girl Tuesday ($9.50) with Spencer ($19) a half-head away third.
Waller also saddled up $2.45 favourite Order Again, who chimed in halfway up the straight but could not go on with the job, finishing fifth.
His other runner Toryjoy ($5.50) hit the front around the home turn but was swamped late for fourth.
Stayer Carif, who is being aimed at the Melbourne Cup, made ground to track up behind the leaders in the straight before running out of room in a luckless return.
Earlier in the program, Stellar Pauline shed her tag as Australia’s best maiden with a comfortable first-up win to put herself on a path towards the bigger spring races.
Group placed in the Gimcrack and Sweet Embrace Stakes, Stellar Pauline also finished runner-up in the Magic Millions Classic but could not get a victory on the board as a juvenile.
That changed with her confidence-boosting 2-1/4 length triumph on Thursday and co-trainer Paul Snowden confirmed they would look at options in Sydney and Melbourne.
“Hopefully we can get back into the better types of races after this and be hard to beat,” Snowden said.
