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Amarelinha back on track for NZ Oaks

3 minute read

Te Akau-raced daughter of Savabeel lands second career Group 2

AMARELINHA winning the Eight Carat Classic
AMARELINHA winning the Eight Carat Classic Picture: Trish Dunell

Having been beaten into second in the Karaka Million 3YO Classic (RL, 1600m), Amarelinha (3 f Savabeel - Hopscotch by O'Reilly) got her New Zealand Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) campaign back on track when she bounced back to her best when she captured the David & Karyn Ellis Fillies Classic (Gr 2, 2000m) at Te Rapa.

Trained by Jamie Richards for the Te Akau Hopskip’n’jump Syndicate, Amarelinha burst past her rivals, eventually beating the fast-finishing Slave To Love (Savabeel) four lengths, wile Needle And Thread (Makfi) was another neck behind in third. 

“She is a really exciting filly and one we have held in high regard right from the time that David bought her at Karaka,” Richards said.

“She reminded us a lot of Probabeel and we didn’t race her as a two-year-old, mainly due to copping COVID-19 at the back end of the season.

“She has more than made up for that this time in, as that was a pretty exciting win.”

Amarelinha is nominated for the New Zealand Oaks, but Richards is undecided whether that is where she will be heading.

“We’ll have a team talk (about the Oaks),” Richards said.

“Mark has won an Oaks, but I haven’t so there is plenty to think about there, so I imagine our Monday team talk will be a little bit longer than usual.”

The victory was Amarelinha’s second at Group Two level having taken out the Eight Carat Classic (Gr 2, 1600m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day, with the filly now having won three of her 5 starts and over NZ$264,000 in prize-money.

Purchased by Ellis for NZ$300,000 at Book 1 of the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka National Yearling Sale, the filly is out of unraced O’Reilly (Last Tycoon) mare Hopscotch, meaning the filly is bred on the same cross as 20 stakes winners, headed by four Group 1 winners; Costume, Diademe, Savaria and Embellish. 

Hopscotch herself is a half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner Metal Bender (Danasinga), while Group 3-winning pair North Pacific (Brazen Beau) and Missybeel (Savabeel) also feature on the page. 

In 2018, Hopscotch produced a filly by Savabeel and she was purchased by Brewers Bloodstock for NZ$190,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka National Yearling Sale and in 2019 she foaled another filly by the Waikato Stud-based sire. 

Five-time champion sire Savabeel - who stood at Waikato Stud for NZ$100,000 (plus GST) last year - and Amarelinha becomes the fourth stakes winner in seven days for the stallion following up the success of Probabeel, Tabata and Tilianam, while the stallions total stakes winners count stands at 112. 
Racing and Sports

Te Rapa

Saturday, 13th February 2021

7
15:40
(local)

David & Karyn Ellis Classic (G2)

Age: 3yo Sex: F Type: OPEN
NZD $100,000
2000m TURF GOOD
7
15:40
(local)
NZD $100,000
2000m GOOD

David & Karyn Ellis Classic (G2)

Age: 3yo Sex: F Type: OPEN

This G2 3yo only filly event at 2000m saw Amarelinha outclass her rivals with a four and half lengths win in 2:03.52. She was winning her third event from five starts and her two defeats have been by a nose on debut and a head (behind the unbeaten G1 winning male Aegon). The winners and where they came from on the home turn were led (on the fence and a length clear), fourth (four-off the inside and two and a half lengths from the leader), led (one-off the inside and a neck in front), sixth (five-off the inside and three lengths from the leader), fifth (six-off the inside and four lengths from the leader), second (two-off the inside and half a length from the leader), third (on the fence and a length and a half from the leader), fourth (one-off the inside and three lengths from the leader) and fourth (one-off the inside and a length and a length and a half from the leader). Amarelinha has lengths and size to match her motor and she has a big edge over her age and sex this season so far despite being sparingly raced. She can race close and surge but bad barrier draws have stymied that until today when she raced in the trail from a good gate and bolted away once off the inside and powering to the lead at the 150m. She looks to have the G1 NZ Oaks (2400m) at her mercy if that is the path the filly takes this season. Slave To Love ran on well from eighth and really unleashed the last bit for an apprentice rider. It was her first raced left-handed too and she has middle distant stamina written all over her. Third home was the Australian bred Needle And Thread that set the pace and tried to kick clear before being headed at the 150m. She finished third and was beaten almost five lengths. If Affare ran on well for fourth once finding clear air wider the final 100m and she has a G3 placing behind Needle And Thread so the form stacks up between the lesser lights. Sweet Anna was fifth home after racing handy the outer and then moving wide near the home turn. She strode up a close second at the 200m before being swamped late and was beaten almost five and a half lengths. Canuhandlethejandal ran sixth beaten just under five and a half lengths and she fought on okay all things considered after racing fifth wide for large portions of the race. Sixth home was Samina Bibi beaten six and a half lengths after racing eighth the inner mostly. Beautifulnightmare was seventh home after racing ninth mostly and then being second last the home turn before being held up at the 350m. Key was next home after settling down last and then being ninth and the widest runner turning for home. The last two home were in a gap and beaten over fifteen lengths and almost twenty lengths respectively. The winner Amarelinha is superior too her sex this season so far with Tokorangi the other main threat but she is headed for the G1 NZ Derby (2400m) while the latter targets the G1 NZ Oaks (2400m). Tokorangi may well run in both depending on how she performs and pulls up in the G1 NZ Derby.



FP Silk Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 1. AMARELINHA (NZ) 3yo F
SAVABEEL (AUS) - HOPSCOTCH (NZ)
DANIELLE JOHNSON
JAMIE RICHARDS
$1.4
56.5kg
Te Akau Hopskip'n'jump Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis Mnzm)

Sales Information

2nd 10. SLAVE TO LOVE (NZ) 3yo F
SAVABEEL (AUS) - MOOCHI ME (AUS)
ASHVIN GOINDASAMY
PETER & DAWN WILLIAMS
$15
56.5kg
Barneswood Farm Ltd For S C Green & G C Beemsterboer
3rd 2. NEEDLE AND THREAD (AUS) 3yo F
MAKFI (GB) - FLEECE (GB)
CRAIG GRYLLS
STEPHEN AUTRIDGE & KRIS SHAILER
$9
56.5kg
K J Hickman Onzm
4th 3. IL AFFARE (NZ) 3yo F
DUNDEEL (NZ) - PENNACCHIO (NZ)
JOHNATHON PARKES
PETER & DAWN WILLIAMS
$11
56.5kg
5th 9. SWEET ANNA (NZ) 3yo F
TAVISTOCK (NZ) - SARA ANN (NZ)
LEITH INNES
MURRAY BAKER & ANDREW FORSMAN
$15
56.5kg

Sales Information

6th 8. CANUHANDLEAJANDAL (NZ) 3yo F
JIMMY CHOUX (NZ) - OUZO (NZ)
VINNIE COLGAN
GRAHAM RICHARDSON & ROGAN NORVALL
$21
56.5kg
7th 12. SAMINA BIBI (NZ) 3yo F
RELIABLE MAN (GB) - ZUZELA (AUS)
JONATHAN RIDDELL
SHAUNE RITCHIE & COLM MURRAY
$31
56.5kg

Sales Information

8th 13. BEAUTIFULNIGHTMARE (NZ) 3yo F
CONTRIBUTER (IRE) - LILLY BELLE (NZ)
LYNSEY SATHERLEY
C W GIBBS
$67
56.5kg
9th 7. KEY (AUS) 3yo F
EXCEED AND EXCEL (AUS) - VANILLA PRINCESS (AUS)
MICHAEL MCNAB
JOHNO BENNER & HOLLIE WYNYARD
$41
56.5kg

Sales Information

10th 6. VICTOREM (NZ) 3yo F
SHOOTING TO WIN (AUS) - GYMNAST (AUS)
TRUDY THORNTON
ANNE HERBERT
$41
56.5kg

Sales Information

11th 11. BELLA BUTTON (NZ) 3yo F
PROISIR (AUS) - MISS THORN (NZ)
SAMANTHA COLLETT
PETER & DAWN WILLIAMS
$51
56.5kg

Sales Information

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