Kiwi filly Savvy Dreams will have her Australasian Oaks lead up run in Group 3 $120,000 Schweppervescence Stakes (Registered as Auraria Stakes) (1800m) at Morphettville on Saturday.
The Darren Weir trained Kenedna, above, is among the nominations for the Auraria Stakes at Morphettville. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
The Guy Lowry and Grand Cullen trained Savvy Dreams is one of thirty-one nominations for the Auraria Stakes and will have her first run on Australian soil this weekend before taking on her main Adelaide mission in the Group 1 $500,000 Schweppes Oaks (registered as Australasian Oaks) (2000m) at Morphettville on May 6.
Savvy Dreams proved her credentials with a second to Bonneval in the Group 3 NZ$70,000 Little Avondale Lowland Stakes (2100m) at Hastings on March 2 followed by a last start third behind Bonneval and Devise in the Group 1 NZ$300,000 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham in New Zealand on March 18.
The Hastings co-trainers elected not to follow Bonneval and Devise to Sydney for the Group 1 $1m James Boag’s Premium Australian Oaks (2400m) at Randwick on April 8 and head to Adelaide instead to chase a Group 1 victory.
The Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman trained Bonneval went on to win her second Oaks Trophy in Sydney while Devise finished down the track in eighth position on the rain affected track.
“That will be her first race – the 1800-metre race on the 22nd of April and Paul Gatt will ride her in that,” Cullen told racing.com.
“Craig Williams is actually booked to ride her in the Oaks. He knows her form and he’s more than happy to ride her.”
“She finished second to Bonneval in the Lowland Stakes two starts ago, beaten a nose, and then was probably beaten three lengths to Bonneval in the Oaks.
“That’s another reason we headed to Adelaide too because we knew Bonneval and the other filly Devise were heading to Sydney.”
Cullen can see Savvy Dreams mature into a top class four year old mare and knows she will take great benefit from the trip to South Australia and is hoping her raw ability will see her come out on top.
“She is very immature still so this is going to be a big test for her but I think the test will make her going ahead to next year as a four-year-old,” Cullen said.
“She is immature but she’s very talented so hopefully she’ll come over there and perform well and we’ll push on to next year.”
Savvy Dreams will be tested to the limit by the Darren Weir trained Kenedna who is the winner of two of her last three starts.
Kenedna proved to be the dominant filly in Group 3 $150,000 The Vanity (1400m) at Flemington on February 18 before finishing third to I Am A Star in the Group 2 $200,000 Kewney Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on March 11.
The Not A Single Doubt filly was quickly back in the winner’s stall with a victory in the Listed $110,000 See South Australia Laelia Stakes (16000m) at Morphettville on April 8.
Weir has also nominated Bloodlette and Mrs Gardenia for the Auraria Stakes.
Nominations for the 2017 Schweppervescence Stakes (Registered as Auraria Stakes)
| # | Last 10 | Horse | Sex | Age | Trainer | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9574642264 | AHECKSTAR | F | 3 | Tom Jolly | 52 |
| 2 | 589×31722 | ANA ROYALE | F | 3 | Stuart Webb | 64 |
| 3 | 4551 | ATOMIC KITTEN | F | 3 | Brent Stanley | 61 |
| 4 | 5042313 | BLOODLETTE | F | 3 | Darren Weir | 62 |
| 5 | 31 | CEDAR GRANDE (NZ) | F | 3 | Robert Smerdon | 62 |
| 6 | 32182713 | DOMESTICATED | F | 3 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 68 |
| 7 | 7×316 | FASTBROOK (NZ) | F | 3 | Nigel Blackiston | 65 |
| 8 | 821 | I’M A PRINCESS | F | 3 | Tony McEvoy | 62 |
| 9 | 8788×21093 | JUST VICTORIA | F | 3 | Cheryl Roberts | 58 |
| 10 | 3222 | KASTOR | F | 3 | Rachael Cunningham | 61 |
| 11 | 39×8143131 | KENEDNA | F | 3 | Darren Weir | 82 |
| 12 | 23332 | MILLIE THE MISSILE | F | 3 | Luke Oliver | 60 |
| 13 | 1623323105 | MISS IDENTIFIED | F | 3 | Travis Doudle | 66 |
| 14 | 521172 | MRS GARDENIA (NZ) | F | 3 | Darren Weir | 68 |
| 15 | 41×5257556 | NIPPERKIN | F | 3 | Barry Brook | 60 |
| 16 | 9212121143 | PENINSULA LINKS | F | 3 | Daniel Clarken | 78 |
| 17 | 421135×734 | PRETTY PUNK | F | 3 | Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas | 74 |
| 18 | 04×1980 | QUEEN OF KANDY | F | 3 | Robert Smerdon | 58 |
| 19 | 65×3210 | ROCK GISELLE | F | 3 | Lee & Anthony Freedman | 62 |
| 20 | 15423 | SAVVY DREAMS (NZ) | F | 3 | Guy Lowry & Grant Cullen | 78 |
| 21 | 56520×1834 | SEBRING DREAM | F | 3 | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | 76 |
| 22 | 6x911x71 | SEDANZER | F | 3 | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | 72 |
| 23 | 25x87x15 | SHENANDOAH (NZ) | F | 3 | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | 61 |
| 24 | x52316x577 | SMART AS YOU THINK | F | 3 | John McArdle | 80 |
| 25 | x4213x2518 | SOMETHING MORE | F | 3 | Jon O’connor | 72 |
| 26 | 60x341x437 | SPARKLE | F | 3 | Heath Conners | 62 |
| 27 | 44122×6 | TIFFANY’S LASS | F | 3 | Danny Laws | 65 |
| 28 | 9444×1323 | TOFFEE NOSE | F | 3 | Danny O’Brien | 67 |
| 29 | 5481 | WHITE LIES | F | 3 | Jim Cerchi (Jnr) | 58 |
| 30 | 6×5141 | WINKELMANN (NZ) | F | 3 | Danny O’Brien | 66 |
| 31 | 4610×22202 | WITH A BIT OF DASH | F | 3 | Chris Bieg | 71 |
