Former Northern Territory sprinter Savatoxl upstaged his more fancied rivals to win South Australia’s premier sprint, the Goodwood handicap (1200m) at Morphettville on Saturday.
Fourth along the inside approaching the home turn, Savatoxl was able to come though along the inside rail and dash clear early in the home straight, ridden out hands and heels to defeat Gr.1 winners Instant Celebrity and Gytrash. (pic: Inglis)
It is the 16th win from 28 starts for the five-year-old, now trained by Tony and Calvin McEvoy, which sold for $A8,000 as a yearling and his third stakes win.
Tony McEvoy told Racing.com that Savatoxl was sent to his stable with the plan of possibly winning a Balaklava Cup over 1600 metres with him, but McEvoy said he felt the horse could not run out a strong mile, so restricted him to sprint trips, where he has excelled.
“It’s a bit surreal,” McEvoy said. “The ownership group had enough faith in him to send him down after he’d won a (Darwin) Guineas and ran a place in the Darwin Cup.
“He just didn’t run the mile in the Balaklava Cup so we went back sprinting and here we are.”
He is the first Gr1 winner for Gr.2 winner Kuroshio (Exceed And Excel), who retired to stud under the Darley banner and shuttled between Australia and England and now resident at Starfield Stud in Ireland under the Compass Stallions banner.
Savatoxl is one of four winners for his dam Li’l Miss Hayley (Savabeel), a half-sister to L.R. placed Total Response (Kheleyf) and Artemisia (Peintre Celebre), the winning dam of Gr3 Winter Cup at Riccarton winner Art Beat (Captain Rio) and Gr3 Manawatu Cup winner Perfect Start (Perfectly Ready).
The granddam Incommunicado (Sadler’s Wells) was unraced and a sister to In Anticipation, the dam of Gr2 Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot winner Irresistible Jewel (Danehill) and Irish Listed winner winner Diamond Trim (Highest Honor).