Meagher chasing perfect start with Savanna

Chris Meagher is hopeful Savanna Amour can give him the perfect start to his training career in Victoria with a stakes race win at Caulfield.

Meagher takes over from his father John when the mares lines up in Saturday’s Group Three How Now Stakes.

The daughter of Love Conquers All won for Meagher senior on September 2 taking her record at Caulfield to two wins and a third from three starts at the course.

After being in a training partnership with his father upon their return from Singapore in 2011, Chris left to help his younger brother Dan in the Asian hub last year.

With Meagher senior set to retire, Chris returned home and has set up stables at Mornington.

He will eventually take over the Brisbane operation as well.

“Since I’ve got the licence down here and dad’s in the process of retiring it was an easy fit to transfer her over to me,” Meagher said.

“But he’s still trying to tell me how to go about it and I don’t see that changing in the foreseeable future.”

Meagher said Savanna Amour had maintained her form since winning the Group Three Cockram Stakes at her last start.

But Meagher is concerned with gate 14.

“She has to go forward and try and slot in,” Meagher said.

“Otherwise she’ll get it completely wrong if we send her her back behind them all.

“We’re going to need a fair bit of luck from that barrier, that’s for sure.”

Meagher, who is yet to have a runner in Melbourne, will also saddle Meet And Greet earlier in the day in the Lojac Civil Handicap.

Meet And Greet won consecutive races in Brisbane before finishing eighth to Alward at Rosehill last month.

“Neville Bell, the BRC chairman owns him and he was happy to send him down here and see what level he can get to,” Meagher said.