Connections of talented Hellbent filly Savvy Hallie would’ve breathed a sigh of relief after the multiple stakes placed filly finally secured her maiden victory, winning the Newcastle Masters Builders Apprentices Super 3YO Maiden Plate (900m) on Thursday.
Surprisingly still a maiden after her juvenile campaign, Savvy Hallie recorded three placed efforts from her four starts last season.
Finishing second to subsequent Group 3 winner King Of Pop on debut before finishing fifth in the Group 2 Reisling Stakes behind Tempted, Savvy Hallie the recorded second placed efforts behind eventual Group 1 winner Nepotism in the Group 3 ATC Baillieu before rounding out her campaign behind Tempted once again, this time in the Group 2 ATC Percy Sykes Stakes.
Scratched from what looked a winnable race last Thursday at Kembla Grange, possibly due to the heavy 10 rated track, the Brad Widdup trained Savvy Hallie started extremely short in the market in the 10-horse field at Newcastle.
Given two lovely trials leading into her 3yo debut, the Jay Ford ridden filly flew the gates before allowing the Jason Attard trained Charlina (Flying Artie) to come along her inside where the pair went head-to-head.
With three lengths back to the third placed horse as the leading duo headed into the straight, Ford asked Savvy Hallie for an effort and under her own steam she cruised to the lead, extending away to win by just under five and a half lengths, in what could’ve easily been a larger margin.
With the Princess Series looking an ideal progression for Savvy Hallie, the B K Racing & Breeding Pty Ltd owned filly won’t be there to just make up numbers.
Sold through the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale draft of Baramul Stud for $150,000 to Belmont Bloodstock Agency, the filly was then re-offered at the Inglis Classic yearling sale where current owner B K Racing & Breeding Pty Ltd went to $320,000 for the relation to multiple Group 1 winners Savabeel, Black Heart Bart and Savanah Success from the draft of Riverstone Lodge.
The first winner from two to the races out of the dual winning Fastnet Rock mare Rose Of Savannah, Savvy Hallie’s year young half-sister named Kototo is a daughter of Wootton Bassett in the stable of Chris Waller, while the mare foaled a colt by Home Affairs in New Zealand before being covered by Reliable Man.
The sire of 23 stakes performers headed by Group 1 winners Magic Time and Benedetta, Savvy Hallie's sire Hellbent will stand at Yarraman Park this season where he will command a fee of $38,500 (inc. GST).
