Barely 48 hours after the sad loss of her former training partner Mike Moroney, Pam Gerard will saddle a Group One contender at the Melbourne track the Hall of Fame horseman called home.
Gerard’s star three-year-old Savaglee will line up as a leading chance in Saturday’s A$1 million Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington, where Moroney was based for the last two decades.
Despite his move across the Tasman, Moroney maintained a presence in his old home town of Matamata, where Gerard served as his training partner from 2016 until last season and they won 178 races together.
One of the big success stories from their time together was Roch ‘N’ Horse, who was a Listed winner and Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m) placegetter in New Zealand before Gerard sent her across to Moroney and she won Flemington’s Gr.1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) and Champions Sprint (1200m).
Gerard took sole charge of Ballymore Stables’ Matamata operation when Moroney relinquished his New Zealand licence at the end of last season amid a health battle, but the pair continued to work closely together until the 66-year-old died in his sleep on Thursday morning.
“It’s a huge loss,” Gerard said from Melbourne on Friday. “He was a fantastic man and I was so lucky to work alongside him and have the great partnership with him that we enjoyed over the last 10 years or so. I’m going to miss him a lot.
“The Guineas isn’t going to be an easy race on Saturday, but I’d love to see Savaglee run a really big race in Mike’s honour.”
Savaglee has swept all before him in New Zealand’s three-year-old ranks, winning five of his seven starts this season including the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), Gr.2 Levin Classic (1400m), Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) and Gr.2 Sarten Memorial (1400m).
The Oaks Stud-owned colt signed off his domestic campaign with a third placing against older horses in the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa on February 8.
Savaglee flew to Melbourne on Wednesday and pleased Gerard with the way he took the journey in his stride.
“He seems to have handled the trip across really well,” she said. “He’s done a fair bit of travelling this season, going to Hawke’s Bay and Christchurch and Wellington, and he seems to enjoy it. He looks bright and well this morning and I think we’re on track.
“I think going back up to 1600m is going to be ideal for him too. He was dominant over that trip in the 2000 Guineas and has probably been wanting it again ever since. He got away with 1400m at Trentham in a fresh state, but I think he found it a bit short at Te Rapa last time. I can’t wait to see him run 1600m around that big track at Flemington.”
Savaglee will be ridden by expat Kiwi jockey Michael Dee, who lived with Gerard and her partner Tommy Hazlett when they worked at Te Akau Racing during Dee’s apprenticeship. The TAB rates Savaglee a $13 chance in a market headed by Angel Capital ($3.90), Sepals ($4.80) and Point And Shoot ($5.50).
Gerard has black-type contenders in action on home soil this weekend too, with impressive last-start winner Harlech lining up in the Gr.3 White Robe Lodge WFA (1600m) while Dubai Gold contests the Gr.2 Jennian Homes Lowland Stakes (2100m) at Trentham on Sunday.
“It’s great to see Harlech still racing so well,” Gerard said. “His trips down to the South Island over the last year or so have really helped to build his confidence up.
“It’s going to be a similar field to the one that he beat last start, and stepping up to 1600m should suit him even better.
“Dubai Gold looked really good early on in this preparation, then just went off the boil a little bit on some of those harder tracks through the summer. But it seemed to me like she turned a corner before that last-start win at Te Aroha. She came right in the coat, put on a bit of weight and just had a different demeanour.
“She’s looking really good now and enjoying the racing and work. She’s coming into her own and I’m looking forward to seeing how she goes up over ground in the Lowland.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
