Savatoxl will step out at Fannie Bay on Saturday when he makes his long-awaited return to Darwin racing.
It has been three years since the horse, who many argue is the best to hail from the NT, has appeared in the tropics.
The seven-year-old gelding from Alice Springs, trained and part-owned by Will Savage, will feature over 1200m at weight-for-age level on Day 4 of the Darwin Cup Carnival.
It will be his first start since Savage took him to Adelaide, where he finished 15th in The Goodwood (1200m) at Group 1 level at Morphettville on May 20.
After finishing 10th in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley last October for Ballarat-based trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy, the son of Kuroshio returned to the Red Centre for a six-month spell.
Savatoxl was victorious over 1200m at weight-for-age level when he returned in April during the Alice Springs Cup Carnival and overcame Tayarn Halter’s Expert Witness, who then went on to finish a narrow second behind Terry Gillett’s Supreme Attraction in the $100,000 Pioneer Sprint (1200m) in the Red Centre.
After a two-month break, Savage is hoping lightning will strike twice when Savatoxl lines up for his 41st career start this weekend over 1200m at weight-for-age level.
Savage – who elected not to start Savatoxl in the Pioneer Sprint, where he would have been assigned a prohibitive weight – said at the time that he would consider taking the horse back to Adelaide and Darwin.
“I made the decision to bring him back to Darwin about a week ago,” Savage said.
“He had a week or two off when we got back from Adelaide and then I put him back into work.
“He’s had a few good strong gallops down there in Alice.
“The horse has done everything right and he’s fit enough, so I thought it was worth the trip up.
“Gave him a run on at Fannie Bay on Thursday morning.
“Shiersy (Paul Shiers) rode him and said he feels good.”
Savatoxl will take on four other runners on Saturday, including Syncline – named Horse of the Year at the 2022 Top End Racing Awards.
Savatoxl, who won The Goodwood in 2021, taking on Syncline, who won the $135,000 Palmerston Sprint (1200m) during the Darwin Cup Carnival last year, at set weights (58.5kg) is an invigorating prospect.
What a pity Alice Springs’ best horse in Supreme Attraction, who is bound for the Palmerston Sprint on August 5, is missing from this weekend’s race.
With $1.03 million in prizemoney from 19 career wins, Savatoxl’s other big victories include the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield in 2021, the Group 3 DC McKay Stakes (1100m) at Morphettville in 2021 and 2023, and the Listed Christmas Handicap (1200m) in Adelaide in 2020.
2023 DC McKay Stakes replay – Savatoxl
Savatoxl has raced on two previous occasions in Darwin when Savage handed the reins over to Gary Clarke, who is about to win the Top End trainers’ premiership for an 11th-straight year.
As a three-year-old back in 2019, he finished fourth in the Darwin Guineas (1600m) and second in the NT Derby (2000m).
The following year, Savatoxl won the ROANT Gold Cup (1300m), Chief Minister’s Cup (1600m) and Metric Mile (1600m) before finishing sixth behind Ihtsahymn in the Darwin Cup (2050m).
“I saw Savatoxl win one of those races in Darwin while he was under Gary’s care,” Savage said.
After purchasing Savatoxl for $18,000 at the Inglis Yearling Sale during the 2017 Alice Springs Cup Carnival, Savage knew he had something special on his hands when the gelding won eight of his first 10 starts at Pioneer Park.
Clarke’s Influential Jack, Nicole Irwin’s Masterati and Kym Healy’s I’m A Legend are the other starters in Saturday’s weight-for-age.
“Good little field, there’s a bit of speed there, so anything can happen,” Savage said.
“Supreme Attraction would have made it even more interesting.”
Savage is weighing up his options as far as starting Savatoxl, who has won from 1000-1600m, in the Palmerston Sprint, where he will receive a huge impost with a rating of 108.
“Not 100 per cent sure, we’ll just see how he goes on Saturday,” he said.
“The horse will tell me how he’s going – he’s fit, he’s fine, he’s happy.
“I’ll just keep ticking him along and find a race for him here and there.
“He’ll be an eight-year-old soon, I know that’s not old, but there’s no big plan with him.”
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