Saturday's C.F. Orr S., the first Group 1 of the new Australian season, certainly didn't lack star quality with 13 Group 1 winners going to post, and at the wire it was the mare Suavito who shone brightest, defying a 10-month injury-induced layoff to win her second Group 1.
Suavito captured her first black-type win in Moonee Valley's 1600 metre G3 International S. in October 2014 and promptly made it four straight. She closed out that season with a win in Flemington's 2000 metre G2 Energy S., and notched her first Group 1 over this track and trip in the G1 Futurity S. a little more than a year ago. She kept the streak alive in the G2 Blamey S. two weeks later but was sidelined after finishing seventh in the G1 Doncaster Mile at The Championships and had a bone chip removed from her knee. She was making her first start back Saturday. Jumping fastest of all from the rail barrier, Suavito allowed jockey Luke Currie to take her about four lengths back thereafter while favored Turn Me Loose took up the tempo. Moving through a seam at the top of the lane, Suavito ground her way to the lead while a hard-luck Lucky Hussler got up to be second after dodging traffic throughout the stretch run. The top 13 finishers in the 18-horse field were separated by just 3 1/2 lengths. “She's just so tough and strong, this mare,” trainer Nigel Blackiston told Racing.com. “She had 10 months off so we had to take her along quietly and slowly build her up. It was a very small injury, it was just the timeframe you have to give them off to get over it.”
Blackiston indicated a defense of her Futurity title is on the cards in two weeks' time.
“She loves it here, so I think we should come back and run in the Futurity S.,” Blackiston said. “And then we've got to make a decision whether we go up to the 2000 metres of the [G1] Australian Cup [Mar. 12] or go to Sydney for the [1500 metre G1] Coolmore [Classic the same day] or other races around.”
Currie was winning his second Group 1, with the first one having come back in 2003, and the rider told Racing.com, “How good is that? It's been a long time since the last one. She always traveled like she was going to be there somewhere, she just needed a bit of luck–when she got through she was strong to the line.”
Suavito's third dam is the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner Nicer (Ire) (Pennine Walk {Ire}). Her dam, Queen Cha Cha, has a yearling filly by Mastercraftsman and a colt foal by Ocean Park (NZ).
Saturday, Caulfield, Australia
C.F. ORR S.-G1, A$502,000, MRC, 2-13, 3yo/up, 1400mT, 1:22.64, Good.
1–SUAVITO (NZ) , 57.0, m, 5, by Thorn Park
1st Dam: Queen Cha Cha (NZ), by High Chaparral (IRE)
2nd Dam: Chablis (GB), by Kingmambo (USA)
3rd Dam: Nicer (IRE), by Pennine Walk (IRE)
O-I J Lewis, Mrs K M Lewis, Mr P Latoszynski, Mrs D Anderson,
M Bowden, H J Loh, D Godfrey, A J McIntyre, Mrs N D
McIntyre, P M Humphreys, Mrs K L Humphreys, R D Cotter, M
Laughlin; B-IDL Racing Ltd, Waikato, NZ; T-N A Blackiston; J-L
Currie; A$302,000. Lifetime Record: 19-8-4-3, A$1,254,550.
*1/2 to Sultan Of Swing (Bachelor Duke), SP-Aus. Werk Nick
Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Lucky Hussler, 59.0, g, 6, Husson (ARG)–Talaq Dancer, by
Black Hawk (GB) . (A$100,000 Ylg 2011 MM Gold Coast
Yearling Sale) O-G I Makauskas, Mrs C I Makauskas, Mrs P F
Makauskas, C S Gall, Mrs S A Gall, Mrs C P Cook, B Gall & E C
Gall; B-Distinct Racing & Breeding Pty Ltd WA; T-D K Weir; J-G
Boss; A$90,000.
3–Hucklebuck, 59.0, g, 5, Elvstroem–Kondari (NZ), by O'Reilly
(NZ). (A$50,000 Ylg 2012 MM Adelaide Yearling Sale) O-C K Li;
B-Mr TJ Board VIC; T-P Stokes; J-D Tourneur; A$45,000.
Margins: 0.8 len, 1.2 len, 1.3 len. Odds: 14.00, 3.40, 14.00.
Also Ran: Turn Me Loose (NZ), Rebel Dane, Boban, Stratum Star, Trust in a Gust, Fenway, Happy Trails, Rising Romance (NZ), Awesome Rock, Bow Creek (IRE), Fawkner, Entirely Platinum (NZ), Red Bomber, Mourinho, Messene.
Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.
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