Currently leading the Australian General Sires List, champion New Zealand sire Savabeel had an eye-catching debut winner on Tuesday from the powerful Maher and Eustace stable.
Three year-old filly Sonoma Coast was sent out favourite for the 1200m maiden at Hamilton and proved to be a class above.
She skipped clear at the finish for Michael Poy to win eased down with ears pricked by more than a length and will take great benefit from the outing.
A $300,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Widden Stud draft for John Foote Bloodstock, Sonoma Coast runs for Gerry Ryan’s Limerick Lane.
She is the first winner from Group III winning Pins mare Honey Rider, whose next foal, a colt by Zoustar, was sold by Widden Stud for $340,000 to the Hong Kong Jockey Club at Inglis Premier this year.
Honey Rider has no yearling for the sales next year, but produced a colt by Trapeze Artist in October.
Sonoma Coast is bred on a very successful nick between Savabeel and daughters of Pins that has delivered 96 winners from 131 runners and 17 of those winners are stakes-winners at a SW to runner strike rate of nearly 13%.
