3 minute read
Daughter of Savabeel comes out on top of photo-finish with Needle And Thread
The NZ$1.30 odds suggested Amarelinha (3 f Savabeel - Hopscotch by O'Reilly) could not get beaten in the Sunline Vase (Gr 3, 2100m) at Ellerslie on Sunday, but she had to work harder than expected to add the Group 3 to her already glowing CV.
Most expected Amarelinha to carry on her winning way after registering a pair of Group 2 victories and a brave runner-up finish to Aegon (Sacred Falls) in the Karaka Million 3YO Classic (RL, 1600m) in her last three starts.
However, Needle And Thread (Makfi) pushed the three-year-old filly right to her limit in the closing stages.
Taken to the front by rider Craig Grylls, Needle And Thread had her rivals under enormous pressure as she skipped clear on the point of the home turn. Amarelinha and rider Opie Bosson set out after Needle And Thread with a determined staying run, clawing back the advantage inch by inch as the winning post loomed. Just as Needle And Thread was being hailed the winner, Amarelinha lunged and got in the deciding stride to take victory by a nose. Dragon Queen (Sweynesse) was another two lengths away in third.
Richards said the filly would now head straight to the New Zealand Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) at Trentham on March 20.
"That is certainly a relief," said Richards, who saddled a stakes race treble at Ellerslie on Sunday.
"It was unfortunate that when Opie tried to get forward and mobile, they all dug up inside him and she (Amarelinha) was very wide from 600 metre mark.
"The second horse is no slouch as she has got very good form, so we will head to Wellington in a fortnight, ready to go."
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) - who landed the Aspiration Quality (Gr 3, 1600m) and is also out of an O'Reilly mare - 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.
Amarelinha is one of 112 stakes winners for five-time champion sire Savabeel, who stood at Waikato Stud for NZ$100,000 (plus GST) last year.
