Australasian Stakes Double for Savabeel

Progeny of Savabeel are running hot throughout Australasia and racing on both sides of the Tasman on Saturday saw the Cox Plate winner notch up two new stakes winners in Brambles (NZ) and Fromelles (NZ).

Now the sire of 17 stakes winners, Savabeel saw his highly promising son Brambles (Savabeel x Prickle) put in a determined performance to win the A$125,000 Group 3 Rough Habit Plate (2000m) at Doomben.

Trained by Peter Moody and ridden by jockey Brad Rawiller, the colt jumped well from barrier one and enjoyed a handy rails run in transit before fighting back in the straight to beat the fast finishing Margins (Parameter) by a head.

The three-year-old colt came into Saturday's race three starts back from a spell and ran a last start third at Eagle Farm on May 2 in the Group 3 Macarthur Gunsynd Classic (1600m) on a heavy track.

Waikato Stud's exciting stallion Savabeel is now the sire of 17 stakes winners

Saturday's race was the colt's first start over 2000 metres and he will now be aimed at the Group 1 Queensland Derby (2400m) where he is quoted at $14 behind current favourite Zabeelionaire (NZ) (Zabeel) at $3.60. New Zealand Oaks winner Artistic (Darci Brahma) is at $6.

Bred by Celia Crawshaw, Brambles was purchased by Moody Racing PTY from Waikato Stud at New Zealand Bloodstock's 2010 Karaka Premier Sale for $100,000.

Raced by Peter Moody, Oti Uthmeyer Higgins, Maverick Racing, Mr D Minogue, Mr J Neeson, Mr C Sarantakos, Mrs B White, Dooner Armidale Racing, Mr R De Zoete-Spiero and The Flo, Brambles has now won three of his eight starts, with a further four placings, for over A$150,000 in stakes.

Peter Moody purchased the full brother to Brambles at this year's Karaka Premier Sale from Anistay Lodge for $110,000.

Also having her first taste of black-type success, the John Sargent trained Fromelles (Savabeel x Unearthed) proved a class above in the $70,000 Group 3 Campbell Infrastructure Rotorua Cup (2200m).

Jumping well for jockey Lisa Allpress in a big field of 16 runners, Fromelles drifted back mid-field at the 1000 metre mark before improving wide on the turn with 400 metres to go. Racing very wide in the straight, the five-year-old made up many lengths in an impressive performance to beat Sum Up (Shinko King) and Arcenciel (Black Minnaloushe) by two-and-a-quarter-lengths.

Her fifth victory from 30 starts, Fromelles won at Trentham in mid-March over 1600 metres and was unlucky in the Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Breeders' Stakes (2000m) three starts ago after racing back in the field and being blocked for a run in the straight.

Her last start she put in an eye-catching run, again coming from the back of the field and five-wide at the point of the turn, to put in a good finish to run fourth behind Sum Up in the Group 3 Hawke's Bay Gold Cup.

Bred and raced by D Dollimore in conjunction with Ms R Bennett & D Howarth, Fromelles was offered by Shelby Park at New Zealand Bloodstock's 2008 Karaka Select Sale. She has now won over $100,000 in stakes.

John Sargent currently heads the New Zealand Trainers' Premiership for the 2011/12 season with 85 race wins and over $1.5 million in stakes, 20 wins clear of second placed Kevin Myers on 65.