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Savatiano edges out Mizzy in Canterbury Stakes

The James Cummings-trained Savatiano (6 m ex Retsina by Redoute's Choice) provided late Darley shuttler Street Cry (Machiavellian) with his 24th elite level winner when she edged out Mizzy (Zoustar) - who is trained by Cummings’ father Anthony - in the Canterbury Stakes (Gr 1, 1300m) at Randwick on Saturday. 

A six time Group winner and twice placed at the top level before Saturday, including in last year’s edition of the Canterbury Stakes, Savatiano was placed in third behind the leader Samadoubt (Not A Single Doubt) in the early stages of the race. 

Hugh Bowman peeled Savatiano out three wide on the turn before taking the lead at the 300 metres, with Mizzy closing the gap with every stride. However, the Godolphin-raced mare was not to be denied, eventually beating Mizzy by a nose. Masked Crusader (Toronado) was another length and a quarter further away in third. 

The mare has an impressive record, with 13 wins from 38 starts, which has seen her pocket $2,458,260 in career prize-money. 

“She now has a deserved Group 1,” Cummings said. 

“(She) had won over $2 million in prize-money without winning Group 1 so far. Outside of Classique Legend there wouldn’t be too many other horses around the world to do that.

“It's a great effort. She had a perfect preparation for this race. She was the deserving winner. We tossed and turned about whether to run her against the colt. 

“It's a point we made during the week. If he gets a couple of things wrong up to 1300 metres and is there to be vulnerable then we might as well have the horse to come along and beat him."

Bred and raced by Godolphin, Savatiano is out of the winning Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) mare Retsina, making her a half-sister to Listed winner Athiri (Lonhro). 

Retsina herself is out of Group 1 winner Star Shiraz (Sequalo), while further back this is the same family as Listed-winning duo Classic Day (Coronation Day) and In His Stride (Rothesay). 

Savatiano’s two-year-old half-brother Rakomelo (Lonhro) is yet to hit the track, while in 2020 Retsina produced a colt by Street Boss (Street Cry) and she has most recently been covered by Darley shuttler Blue Point (Shamardal). 

Being out of a daughter of Redoute’s Choice, Savatiano is one of five stakes winners bred on the Street Cry / Redoute’s Choice cross and becomes the third Group 1 winner, joining Trekking and Stay With Me. 

The victory also hands the late Arrowfield Stud sire with his 21st Group 1 winner as a broodmare sire. 

Street Cry died in 2014 and his global stakes winners count stands at 133 and his 24 elite level winners include multiple Group 1-winning champions Winx and Zenyatta.