Savatoxl seals victory in long-awaited Alice Springs comeback
Savatoxl made it a triumphant Alice Springs return on Saturday when he took out the same race he won back in 2020 when last he saluted at Pioneer Park.
Will Savage’s champion seven-year-old gelding was victorious in the Mags Takeaway Weight-For-Age (1200m) on Day 3 of the Alice Springs Cup Carnival with next Sunday’s $100,000 Pioneer Sprint (1200m) more than likely to be his next assignment.
After winning the WFA three years ago, Savatoxl finished fifth in the Pioneer Sprint behind Golden Dice – it was to be his last start in the Red Centre before starring in Darwin and interstate.
A winner of the Group 1 Goodwood (1200m) in Adelaide and Group 2 Schillaci Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield, the son of Kuroshio made it 18 wins from 38 starts on Saturday – it was also his 10th win from 13 starts in the Red Centre.
Winning on debut in March 2018, Savatoxl has now amassed $965,000 in stakes and to get the cash as a $2.30 favourite in his NT comeback was special, however he was made to work.
Having not raced since finishing 10th in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley in October, Savatoxl (Ianish Luximon) was pushed to the limit with Tayarn Halter’s mighty sprinter Expert Witness (Jade Hampson) from Darwin a worthy adversary.
When they jumped Mark Nyhan’s Bat Pad (Sonja Wiseman) settled on the rails and Expert Witness, jumping from the widest gate in the eight-horse field, was on the outside with Savatoxl in the middle as the trio battled for ascendancy.
Little changed, but turning for home Bat Pad ($4.40) began to wilt with Expert Witness ($2.70) still camped three wide as the backmarkers started to make ground with 350m to go.
Savatoxl, with Luximon hard-pressed, couldn’t shake the gallant Expert Witness, a debut winner in the Alice over 1100m (BM76) on April 1 after winning six from 10 in the Top End, before the horse considered to be the NT’s best ever took control with 100m to go to win by two lengths.
The Phil Cole-trained Smuggling (Wayne Davis), the winner of the Pioneer Sprint for the past two years, also made his Alice Springs return and after starting at $31 the 10-year-old gelding motored home to finish third.
Greg Connor’s $13 pick Flying Start (Jessie Philpot), Alice Springs’ reigning Horse of the Year, had been disappointing of late and was a mile back before rocketing home for fourth.
Strathalbyn trainer Kym Healy headed back to SA after Day 1 of the Carnival for personal and business reasons, so he wasn’t at Pioneer Park for Day 2 action on Monday.
However, he was back in the Red Centre on Saturday to watch the in-form $2.50 favourite Taipan Tommy (Stan Tsaikos) obliterate the opposition by 8.28 lengths over 1400m (0-58) in arguably the most dominant Carnival performance thus far.
Jumping from the inside gate, the son of Dark Valley went straight to the front and once turning into the back straight Tsaikos controlled the tempo before giving the opposition the slip down the side with 500m to go.
Turning for the home and with 350m to go the seven-year-old gelding was easily five lengths clear before increasing his lead to sink $7.50 stablemate Scout’s Honour (Hampson), who finished well from the back, with $6.50 hopeful Boy Big, who wasn’t far way before Taipan Tommy cut loose, finishing third for trainer and jockey Dan Morgan.
Taipan Tommy (60kg) had only achieved three wins from 26 starts for SA trainers Nicole Irwin and Dennis O’Leary, but Healy has an extraordinary record when he takes horses to the NT where he has also won Darwin and Alice Springs Cups with Pretty Blonde.
After a first up win over 1100m (0-66) on April 8, Taipan Tommy was second behind Envenomate over 1200m (0-66) on Monday and although dropping back in grade starting for a third straight week was no burden.
Healy made it back to back wins and Luximon made it three wins for the day when eight-year-old gelding Equal Balance ($10) took out a dramatic race over 1400m (0-58).
Prior to the start the Trevor Montogmerie-trained Oddsock (Casey Hunter), the $3.60 second favourite, reared when the field was released dislodging the jockey before escaping the barriers and bolting in a clockwise direction.
They race anti-clockwise in Alice and with Oddsock running loose it was feared he would impede the field approaching from the opposite direction.
Meanwhile, it was George Cooke’s Bean Shoppin’ (Philpot) who led going into the back straight before Paul Gardner’s Sadler’s Song (Lek Maloney) took charge, while Dick Leech’s $1.95 favourite Miracoli (Hampson) was sitting comfortably in third place.
With Oddsock thankfully pulling up at the top of the home straight, Sadler’s Song ($26), who had one win from 19 starts, still held a handy lead with 600m to go before the fourth-placed Equal Balance started winding up.
Equal Balance, the son of Hinchinbrook, caught Sadler’s Song once turning for home as Miracoli, who looked gone at the 400m, rallied in the final 200m to finish half a length behind the winner with Sadler’s Song holding on for third.
For Equal Balance, who had previously had 65 starts for five wins, he was backing up after a last start sixth behind Early Crow over 1200m (0-70) when he made his NT a fortnight ago.
To cap a dramatic race, Hampson lodged a protest against Luximon claiming interference in the home straight which the stewards dismissed.
Incredibly, the drama only continued at the start of the seventh race over 1600m (0-66) when Gary Clarke’s $3.20 favourite Ironedge (Jarrod Todd) had to survive a vet’s inspection after an incident when entering the barriers before Hampson went missing aboard the Leech-trained Yowza when they jumped.
Ironedge, Kerry Petrick’s Magnolia Rose (Paul Denton), Carrol Hunter’s Exonerate (Davis) and Nicole Irwin’s Eureka’s Victory (Dakota-Lee Gillett) started well, but soon had the riderless Yowza for company.
Turning into the back, Yowza severely impeded Eureka’s Victory, who drifted back in the field, as Healy’s Paulo Pace (Tsaikos) and Savage’s Sienna’s Choice (Luximon) joined the leaders.
Magnolia Rose ($15), a five-year-old mare, continued to hold a healthy advantage with Ironedge the only threat at the 400m approaching the final turn as Paulo Pace and Sienna’s Choice dropped off.
Well clear at the 300m, Magnolia Rose was in good shape and with Ironedge unable to bridge the gap the daughter of Kermadec went on to win by three lengths with the desperately unlucky Eureka’s Victory ($5), a last start winner, rattling home for third.
Magnolia Rose, who now boasts five wins from 24 starts, last tasted success 12 months ago at Stawell over 1600m (BM64) and didn’t do much wrong when third behind Norse Mythology over 1200m (0-64) on her Alice Springs debut on April 1.
For Ironedge, who spotted the winner 5kg, it meant two starts for two seconds at Pioneer Park after the former Victorian galloper was pipped at the post by Eureka’s Victory over 1400m (0-70) two weeks ago.