Savabeel wins Cox Plate Photo by Racing and Sports
Saturday, 23 October 2004: If you talk the talk you have to be able to walk the walk and Graeme Rogerson and Savabeel did just that in the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley today.
If you talk the talk you have to be able to walk the walk and Graeme Rogerson and Savabeel did just that in the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley today.
The colt became the first three-year-old since Octagonal in 1995 to take out Australasia's premier weight-for-age event and his trainer backed up what many thought were outrageous claims about the horse's ability.
"People doubted me but I put my money where my mouth is," Rogerson said.
"They said he wasn't good enough, they said Rogie's building him up to sell him but I won't be selling him now.
"I think he is a real good horse, he still doesn't know what it's all about and will get better.
"This horse even makes mugs look good."
Rogerson isn't a mug and his colt is a good horse who had had just eight starts before today and was the youngest horse in the race with the postage stamp weight of 48.5kg.
Chris Munce committed himself three weeks ago to riding at the weight and the dedication paid off for the jockey who has won the Golden Slipper twice and also has a Melbourne Cup trophy in his cabinet.
Savabeel jumped out on terms with the leaders and Munce quickly settled him third on the fence with Regal Roller striding out ahead of Miss Potential as expected.
The leaders didn't go too hard and Savabeel had an easy time in running with Munce making a move around the turn.
The colt dropped the other two easily and try as they might, the others just couldn't get near him with last year's winner Fields Of Omagh doing best, a length adrift on the line.
Starcraft tried hard but was another long neck away third with Grand Armee making ground behind him for fourth.
Caulfield Cup winner Elvstroem was sent out favourite but was never in the hunt, finishing eighth after blowing the start.
Local horses filled the first six placings with New Zealander King's Chapel seventh and Hong Kong visitor Elegant Fashion and German warhorse Paolini filling the next two positions after Elvstroem.
But all honours were with the winner who, all being well, will back up in next week's Victoria Derby for which he is now an even shorter favourite than yesterday.
Starcraft's owner Paul Makin was disappointed but philosophical about the four-year-old's third after his unorthodox campaign which included a sojourn to New Zealand.
"Maybe I was too ambitious, but I'm an ambitious guy," Makin said.
"Perhaps we have to take the travel into account, but it's not an excuse.
"He's run third in a Cox Plate and I still want to take him to England to race there."
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