Improving colt Forgot You (NZ) (Savabeel) earned a tilt at two of the spring’s three-year-old classics with a late-charging win in Friday night’s Gr. 2 Stutt Stakes (1600m) at The Valley.
Less than a week after they combined to win a Group One with Sierra Sue (NZ) (Darci Brahma), jockey Daniel Moor and trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young were dreaming about the Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) and the Gr.1 VRC Derby (2500m) with their son of Savabeel.
After beginning well from barrier three, Forgot You was given a charmed run throughout the race but looked in trouble when he failed to quicken immediately when the tempo lifted at the 600m.
But after balancing up, and under the urgings of Moor, the handsome colt overhauled Mr Mozart (Snitzel) and Daily Bugle (Press Statement) with a strong turn of foot in the final 200m of the race.
Moor was happy to talk about the colt as a Derby prospect immediately after the race, although Young indicated the Guineas would be his next start.
“He looked like he hit a little bit of a flat spot at the corner and I thought he was going to drop out but, to his (Moor’s) credit, he got him out, gave him some room and ne just knew where that finishing post was,” Young said.
“When you’re winning a Group Two here over a mile, I reckon you’ve got to have a crack at the Guineas.
“You can step him out later on after that.”
Forgot You made it back-to-back wins at The Valley after breaking through earlier in the month.
Bred by Waikato Stud’s Garry Chittick, Forgot You is the 116th individual stakes winner for champion stallion Savabeel and is out of the winning O’Reilly mare Simply You.
He is the 21st stakes winner bred on the famed Savabeel – O’Reilly cross and is raced in similar interests to Sierra Sue, with Ozzie Kheir and John O’Neill among the winning connections.
Forgot You firmed into $15 for the Caulfield Guineas, while he’s now the $10 second favourite for the Victoria Derby. The colt also remains in the Cox Plate after second acceptances, for which he’s rated a $61 outsider.
