Godolphin duo record maiden wins

Jockey Brenton Avdulla on Savatiano, one of two maiden winners for Godolphin at Warwick Farm.

Godolphin filly Savatiano has finally enjoyed her moment in the sun after breaking her maiden at Warwick Farm.

At her second start in February, Savatiano finished in front of future Group One winners Ace High and Trapeze Artist in a race won by another subsequent elite-level winner Invader.

Racing fresh from a spell on Wednesday in an 1100m-maiden for three-year-olds. Savatiano ($3.20) beat Empress Matilda ($7.50) by half a length under Brenton Avdulla.

“It took a Group One winner to beat her at Randwick and after her trial I thought this was a lovely race for her,” Avdulla said.

“I had to give her a squeeze and get her up with the on speed horses, I sat there with her for a furlong and she then she put them away.

Godolphin assistant trainer Nacim Dilmi said Godolphin head trainer James Cummings would not rush to step her up in grade.

“She’s still green but she’ll take improvement from that run. We’re going to take it slowly with her,” he said.

Dilmi also tempered the expectations on Godolphin’s other first-time winner at the meeting, Isaurian.

The three-year-old colt made the perfect start to his career as the $1.70 favourite, pulling clear with authority to claim the colts and geldings maiden (1100m) by 2-1/2 lengths from Enfield Opp ($12).

“i wouldn’t be surprised to see him feature in a Listed or Group Three race at Flemington over the carnival down the straight,” jockey Hugh Bowmand said.

Dilmi was not so sure.

“We’re not going to step him up into something big with him,” he said.

“We’ll stay midweek him to get his confidence up.”

Isaurian faced two less rivals in his race with November Man and Highly Influential scratched because of traffic problems following an accident which stopped their truck getting to the racecourse in time while Madonnica was scratched from Savatiano’s race for the same reason.