Savvy Coup to join Waller stable in Sydney

WELLINGTON: Dual group 1 winner Savvy Coup will remain in Australia after failing to fire in a twostart campaign in Melbourne, and will join the Sydney stable of Chris Waller.

Prepared by Michael and Matthew Pitman to win last season’s group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) and the group 1 Livamol Classic (2040m) in October, Savvy Coup was wellheld in both the group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) and group 2 Matriarch Stakes (2000m).

The daughter of Savabeel has gone for a freshenup and will be aimed at targets in the autumn.

‘‘I can understand what they’re doing,’’ Michael Pitman said of the decision by owners Ray Coupland and Jim Bruford.

‘‘I’ve told them I’m disappointed, but it’s very hard to place a mare like her in New Zealand.

‘‘If she ran in the set weights and penalties races, because she’s won two group 1 races she’ll be near enough to the top weight.

‘‘We’ve had input into the decision making process, they haven’t left us out of it. I fully understand and going forward I think it’s the logical thing for them to do with her.

‘‘For every door that shuts another one opens and hopefully one of the young horses we have got steps up to the mark.

‘‘We’ve got a really nice Savabeel that Jim Bruford and I own in partnership, so we’re looking forward.’’ — NZ Racing Desk.