Savvy Hallie, expertly guided by Nash Rawiller, seized the early advantage and maintained a commanding lead throughout to clinch the $300,000 Sheraco Stakes over 1200 metres.
This victory marks Savvy Hallie’s third at Group 2 level, with trainer Michael Widdup expressing his strong desire to secure a top-tier Group 1 win with the talented mare.
Widdup identified the Group 1 $1 million Manikato Stakes at Caulfield on September 27 and the prestigious Group 1 $20 million The TAB Everest at Royal Randwick on October 17 as potential major targets for Savvy Hallie.
“She is definitely a Group 1 horse, we’ve got to try and win them now,” Widdup said. “She is back in form now so fingers crossed she keeps going.
“The Manikato in Melbourne is the fork in the road but that looks pretty strong now, and The Everest has been mentioned.
“I would love to run her in The Invitation, hopefully they will give us an invitation, it would be nice to stay here but we will have a look at Melbourne next.”
The swift Savvy Hallie, sent off at $20, dictated terms from the outset, holding off the challenge of Gangsta Granny ($6) by a neck, with Lazzura ($2.90 favourite) a further half-neck back in third.
Savvy Hallie completed the 1200m journey in a swift 1 minute 8.85 seconds, narrowly missing the race record of 1 minute 8.80 seconds set by Sunshine In Paris in 2023.
Her performance was a significant turnaround after finishing last in the Toy Show Quality at Randwick last month, though Widdup insisted there were valid reasons for that below-par effort.
“Savvy Hallie has done it before,” Widdup said. “We took her to the Gold Coast and thought she would be terribly hard to beat there but she was flat. She ran fourth and wasn’t at her best.
“First-up the other day, she did get slammed out of the gates and went to the inside which was a no-go zone.
“There were other things, apparently she was lame but she’s not lame today. There was not a thing wrong with her and she has proved that today.
“Nash was positive today and that is her at her best. He would have been positive last start if he was allowed too but it didn’t happen and that’s racing.
“She has been perfect since we got her home and it’s great to get another win.”
Rawiller commented that Savvy Hallie presented as a “different horse” at Rosehill compared to her disappointing run at Randwick the previous month.
“I didn’t put that much weight on her getting checked out of the gates the other day, but I guess when you knock four lengths off them out of the gates it makes it hard to overcome that,” Rawiller said.
“It meant a bit to me that win because I’ve had a good association with her. We were all pretty disappointed last time but kept the faith that she would bounce back, and it was great to see her come here today and do that.”
Rawiller concurred with Widdup’s assessment of Savvy Hallie’s Group 1 potential.
“I’ve seen a lot of them, there are a lot of horses that have got that potential and they’re damn hard to win, those Group 1 races,” Rawiller said.
“But this is a mare that I think can definitely measure (up) to that level going forward.
“She will be wrapped up in kid gloves now and they’ll find another one (race) for her. It was a very exciting win.
“She has got a lovely attitude and is a beautiful filly. I was lucky I probably got on her at the right time, winning the Group 2 on her at Randwick and I won’t get off her until the day she dies. I’ll stick with her.”
Widdup indicated that the Manikato Stakes is the probable next destination for Savvy Hallie, offering a potential Group 1 triumph.
“Obviously the Manikato Stakes is there, plus there are good races here at home and we have got the Invitation and things like that,” Widdup said.
“But we will get her home, make sure she is right and go from there.”
For those keen to get involved, the Manikato Stakes is shaping up to be a thrilling contest, and you can explore the latest racing odds at Australian betting sites.
