Pam Gerard has faced an emotional week as she prepares Savaglee for the Australian Guineas at Flemington. Up until the start of this racing season, Gerard had been in a training partnership with Michael Moroney, but now leads the New Zealand side of Ballymore Stables, leaving Moroney to focus on the Australian side.

Gerard arrived in Melbourne on Wednesday night, only to learn the next morning that her former training partner had passed away in his sleep. “It hasn’t been the easiest 24 hours, but we’ll be doing our best to make him super proud,” she said.

Before the race, Gerard had hoped to beat Moroney’s horse Plymouth with Savaglee, adding, “We were super proud of what he achieved in his life, and we’ll try and carry that on for him.”

Savaglee, who had been quieter than usual on Thursday, bounced back to his normal self on Friday. Gerard had targeted the Australian Guineas for him after his victory in the Group 1 NZ 2000 Guineas at Riccarton in November.

“We’re trying to make him into a stallion, and this was a no-brainer for us,” Gerard said. “He’s got a good record, but I’m not sure the competition at home was the toughest.”

Gerard is excited to see how Savaglee performs over 1600m at Flemington, a distance she believes will suit him perfectly. “It’s really exciting to be here. It’s new territory for me,” she added. “Hopefully, we can be competitive.”