Savapinski faces step up in class

Adrian Bott is keen to gauge how Savapinski measures up to seasoned stablemate My True Love and two in-form mares from the Ron Quinton stable.

Savapinski was among the acceptors for a 1900m-benchmark race at Canterbury on Wednesday but trainers Gai Waterhouse and Bott set the sights higher over a shorter distance in the Group Three Angst Stakes.

A last-start Hawkesbury Class Two winner over 1600 metres, Savapinski will run over the same distance on Saturday.

Savapinski has three wins from four starts with the only blemish on her record a fourth on debut at Canterbury in August.

“She’s still learning but she’s been going really well and showing sharp improvement even though it may only read like provincial form,” Bott said.

“It may seem like we’re throwing her in the deep end a bit, but she deserves a crack at a race like this. A good tough mile against her own sex will really suit.”

The Quinton-trained Dixie Blossoms ($4.40) and Daysee Doom ($4.60) led the TAB market on Thursday while My True Love and Savapinski were at $8.50 and $12 respectively.

Bott said My True Love’s experience should hold her in good stead following her third in a Benchmark 93 Handicap (1300m) at Rosehill last Wednesday.

“She’s got the form on the board and is bit more seasoned,” he said.

“It was a good first-up run.

“Savapinski is a bit more forward in her preparation but My True Love obviously has a bit of a class edge having already been Group Two and Group Three placed.”

My True Love came to prominence in Queensland over winter with second placings in the Group Two Dane Ripper Stakes (1350m) and Group Three Sunshine Coast Guineas (1600m).

Bott said the pair would use the Angst Stakes as a springboard to races in Melbourne with the Group Two Matriarch Stakes at Flemington on November 11 a target.