3 minute read
Trainer and jockey quotes after Savatiano wins the Group 2 Expressway Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday.
Race Result:
1st: Savatiano (H Bowman/J Cummings) - $2.10
2nd: Kolding (J McDonald/C Waller) - $8.50
3rd: Emeralds (J Collett/J Sargent) - $26
Winning Time: 1:11.22 Last 600m: 34.34
Margins: 2L x 1½L
Savatiano in style! Beautiful ride from @HugeBowman to take out the Expressway Stakes for @godolphin pic.twitter.com/2mth0ucUgG
— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) January 30, 2021
Winning Trainer: James Cummings
Chasing her biggest win?: "Well there is every likelihood. She is probably going to be kept fresh for the Canterbury Stakes which is in March. She has returned well as you can see. She takes control of these sorts of races."
"She is very mature now. Credit has to go to the boys to have confidence in her to keep her in training for another season. She might be capable of repaying the faith. I'd like to think she will be hard to beat in the Canterbury Stakes."
On the run: "When we have the right horse with the speed early and is strong enough we are quite happy to lead in races. She fit the bill. She was nice and forward first up. It was a very good race for her."
"The wet track probably took some of the class out of the race with the scratching of the 3yo but I think he would have needed to be pretty good today to beat Savatiano. She will be fresh and ready to go in the Canterbury Stakes running a very good race there."
Winning Jockey: Hugh Bowman
Thoughts on Savatiano: "There wasn't a lot of pressure in today's race. I haven't ridden her in a race before but going through (her replays) she copes with pressure and the reason she does that is she doesn't spend any energy whatsoever in the run."
"Even though I had it as easily as I did in the first quarter, I made her switch on at the 600m mark because I thought I'd take the race by the scruff of the horns (neck) instead of waiting for the pressure to come. Once I switched her on and got her up onto the bridle she just picked up. From the 350m I asked her to stretch out and stretch out she did."
Thoughts on how Savatiano was placed today: "It was gifted to her in the early stages. The only other pace was obviously Mizzy and when Reagan (Bayliss) decided not to press on, we really did control it."
"This was a race that really set up well for her. Congratulations to the Godolphin team, I feel like I was just gifted a winner here today. She has come back in fine form and she is only going to improve with today's performance."
Does Hugh Bowman think Savatiano can win a Group 1: "I certainly do. Her distance range makes it a bit harder, the Group 1's if you are looking up towards the mile there are limited opportunities. Maybe a race like the Coolmore, I don't want to get into race programming but that might be an ideal race for her."
Beaten Jockeys:
James McDonald (Kolding): "Great return. He's in for a good campaign."
Sam Clipperton (Star Of The Seas): "He ran very well. Race was dominated from up front but he hit the line very strongly."
Rachel King (Flit): "Really good run first up. They just outsprinted her over this distance."
Regan Bayliss (Mizzy): "She probably needed the run and also is better on top of the ground so stepping up on better ground hopefully we should see improvement."
Jason Collett (Emeralds): "Good return. Really happy with her."
