Kiwi expats Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young are eyeing a second Gr.1 VRC Derby (2500m) after Albarado (NZ) (Savabeel) won the Gr.3 Neds Classic (2000m) in impressive fashion at Caulfield on Saturday.
The stable sent out Sangster (NZ) to win the 2011 Derby, albeit the win was solely in Busuttin’s name, and like that charge, Albarado is a son of Champion Waikato Stud stallion Savabeel.
Stuck wide for much of the 2000-metre race and forced to take off early, Albarado showed all the fighting and staying qualities required to win a Derby.
Like Sangster, Albarado races in the colours of prominent owner Tommy Heptinstall and shares many of the same ownership group as his predecessor.
Starting at $4.80, Albarado edged out $4.40 favourite Let’s Karaka Deel (NZ) (Dundeel) by a long head, with a nose to Hit The Shot ($10) in third place.
The win elevated him onto the top line of betting for the October 31 Derby at $6 along with another Kiwi bred, Young Werther (NZ) (Tavistock).
“It was a good performance. Obviously, it was a messy race, but Mark Zahra summed it up and got going early, but he still had to do plenty of work going wide around them, so it was a good, gutsy win,” Busuttin said.
“Sangster was our first good horse and we came here (the Caulfield Classic) and he took off like that and got nutted on the line.
“Same colours, most of the owners of Sangster are in this horse, so hopefully this bloke can replicate his Derby win in a couple of weeks.”
“If you want to win a Slipper you buy an I Am Invincible or a Snitzel or a Redoute’s Choice, but if you want these staying horses it’s the Savabeels, Tavistocks, and it’s a shame Tavistock is no longer around.
“There’s plenty of them still around in the next couple of months in the Ready To Run’s and we’ll be buying plenty of them.”
The Derby was also on Zahra’s mind after the race and the in-form rider said Albarado dug deep when he was challenged.
“He jumped well but I just wanted to have him back and switched off, be strong late and be really relaxed. It took me a while to get him to switch off. I just kept him going through his gears,” Zahra said.
“He’s green. I hit the front at the 200 (metre mark) and Redwood Shadow came and challenged him and he found.
“I think with the blinkers, when he saw the horse coming down the outside, he dug in. At the furlong it could have gone either way. He could’ve turned it up. Credit to him. First horse and got the job done.”
Jockey John Allen, who rode runner-up Let’s Karaka Deal said the horse was still green and would learn plenty from the experience, and believed there was improvement to come.
Albarado was purchased by Busuttin Racing for $140,000 at the Karaka Book 1 Yearling Sale from the Rich Hill Stud draft.
Runner-up Let’s Karaka Deal was purchased at the same sale from the draft of Wentwood Grange for $80,000 by Flying Start Syndications and Pinhook Bloodstock.
Out of the multiple Group Three winning O’Reilly mare O’Fille (NZ), Albarado is the 103rd stakes-winner for Savabeel.
