Savaria back to best in cup win

SAVARIA returned to her favourite track to claim the Wellington Cup.

‘‘Good on ya, Bergy,’’ yelled one man giving Roydon Bergerson a big man hug after Savaria held off Jacksstar by a short head to win the $250,000 Wallaceville Estate-sponsored 3200m cup at Trentham yesterday.

The owners, Des and Kay Fleming, Taranaki farmers and horse breeders, had been deterred by the weather forecast as Savaria doesn’t like wet tracks.

‘‘I wish they were here, but when they saw it looked like it might rain they decided to stay home,’’ Bergerson said.

‘‘The last thing they wanted was to drive all the way down from Taranaki and end up with the horse not running.’’

As it was, the race was run on a Dead 4 track which was perfect for Savaria.

The irony was that the umbrellas were up for the race presentation, as steady rain sent racegoers scampering for cover.

‘‘They will be over the moon,’’ said Paul Humphries, who accepted the cup on behalf of the Flemings.

For Bergerson, who has been training since he started out in partnership with his father Herb in the early 1980s, the cup win was a big thrill.

‘‘It’s a lifetime ambition to win this race,’’ he said.

There was a hug too from Jacksstar’s trainer, Gary Vile. He and Bergerson are good mates, both training at Awapuni,

‘‘I said to Roydon when I was talking to him at the track yesterday, if I get beat I hope it’s by you horse, and he said the same back to me,’’ Vile said.

Jockey Hayden Tinsley, who gave Savaria a peach of a ride, claimed his first Wellington Cup, noting that it was great to win, ‘‘but it is a pity it’s not a Group I’’.

Tinsley has long held the five-year-old mare in very high regard.

They paired up to win the New Zealand Oaks in March 2015 and while he hasn’t been able to ride her much since then because she has been down in the weights, he never lost faith in her, despite her only winning one race since the oaks. ‘‘It’s not often I ride at 56.5kg,’’ he said. The cup might only be a Group III these days, but it certainly was exciting, with Savaria finishing strongly as the field fanned out in the straight.

Jacksstar was last at the 800m and flashed home but could not get the better of the Savabeel mare.

‘‘I got bit worried coming to the 1000m when they started swooping, but I got the inside runs,’’ Tinsley said.

Bergerson said he was a bit worried as they approached the turn, ‘‘but it was a patient ride’’.

Bergerson said he was a bit worried as they approached the turn, ‘‘but it was a patient ride’’.

He said the mare really appreciated the two mile journey.

While Vile indicated Jacksstar would head to the Auckland Cup, Bergerson said Savaria might miss that race as she doesn’t go so well on right-handed tracks.

Outsider Perfect Start charged home for third, after having a rocky run.

He was second in the New Zealand Cup in November over the same distance.

Fanatic and last year’s winner, Mister Impatience, were next home, while Snow Secret, who was seventh, looked unlucky striking traffic problems in the straight.

The Australian visitors were out of the money.

Pop ’N’ Scotch finished eighth but Sly Romance dropped out to finish last.