Sydney trainer John O'Shea has a pair of Group One targets in mind for Savvy Nature (pictured) following his slick win under James McDonald in the Gr.3 Spring Stakes (1600m) at Newcastle this week.

Savvy Nature was having just his fourth career start, but with success in the race that boasts past winners such as , Universal Prince and Lotteria, the suggestion is that the son of Savabeel can measure up to the elite level.

"History says good horses win this race,” O’Shea said. “He's early in his prep, so hopefully later on he'll win a nice race.” O'Shea is eyeing up the Gr.1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on October 12 before taking the son of Savabeel to Melbourne. "I'd love to get him to Flemington and ride him quiet in a mile and a half race (Victoria Derby)," he said.

Bred by ABP Enterprises Ltd, Angus Taylor Family Trust, Little Avondale Trust & Storm Ltd, Savvy Nature is out of the unraced Carnegie mare Generous Nature and is the 25th individual stakes winner for Savabeel.

Savvy Nature was secured by O’Shea for $200,000 at the 2012 NZB Ready To Run Sale of 2YO’s. The smart gelding has since won two of his four starts and is owned by M Brown, Mr J D Melick, Mrs J Melick, Mrs S L Pilkington, Mr N G Rockley, Mr A M Rowley-Bates, Placanica, Mr T St James and Mrs R St James.

TARGETS AHEAD: Gr 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on October 12. Gr.1 Victoria Derby (2400m) at Flemington on November 2.

Savabeel won the Gr.1 Spring Champion Stakes & placed 2nd in the Gr.1 Victoria Derby, after winning the Gr.1 Cox Plate 7 days earlier.

Our triple Gr.1 winning racemare Daffodil produced her third filly foal this week.

“Daffodil’s Savabeel foal is a lovely strong type and once again, she is proving a wonderful mother,” said Mark.

“She’s now had three fillies since retiring to stud, so this is a family that will keep going for the stud for the next 20 years or so.”

Daffodil – a daughter of No Excuse Needed and Spring, proudly showcased the stud’s colours for trainer Kevin Gray in the Gr.1 AJC Oaks, the Gr.1 NZ 1000 Guineas and the Gr.1 Windsor Park Challenge Plate.

The Stud has retained Daffodil’s two earlier fillies by Pins, with the ‘spring’ theme being continued with their names Snowdrop and Daisy Chain.

Snowdrop is currently undergoing her early two-year-old education at the stud’s private pre-training facility Courtza Park.

Daffodil will return to Savabeel in 2013.

Ocean Park served Tony and Vicki Rider’s beautifully related Khozaam mare Alpine Beauty on Monday.

On Thursday Alpine Beauty added a second stakes winner to her broodmare resume, with One Cool Cat son Winning Glory taking out the Gr.3 Newcastle Gold Cup (2300m).

Alpine Beauty had previously been destinguished by the her stakes winning daughter Alpine Delight (Bluebird) and hails from the Gr.1 family of Viewed, Battle Heights, Noble Heights, Weekend Hussler, Mapperley Heights, Royal Heights, Sky Heights, Allegro and Vosne Romanee.

Fast ‘N’ Famous was a dominant force in Singapore last Sunday with two winners on the Kranji programme. Son Big Money cashed in with victory in the opening event and mare Toast’s Angel subsequently completed a double.

Trained by Leslie Khoo and ridden to a first career win by Lisa Allpress, Big Money is out of the Lion Heart mare Lion Around. She is a half-sister to the Australian stakes winner Rolling Dice and the South African black-type holder Vance.

The champion pairing of trainer Laurie Laxon and jockey Joao Moreira later combined with the four-year-old Toast’s Angel for a deserved maiden win after three consecutive placings. A WS graduate, she is out of the unraced Pins mare Haberdashery, who is a half-sister to the Gr 1 Queensland Derby winner Lachlan River.

This week we put 60 seconds of curious questions to the stud’s very own Garry Chittick…

Favourite comfort food: Trout I’ve caught and prepared. Favourite thoroughbreds: Stallions O’Reilly and Centaine because they put Waikato Stud in the position that it’s in today; Georgina Belle and her daughter Habania for being wonderful foundation broodmares; and as far as racehorses go Sunline, Daffodil, Legs and Glamour Puss all rate right up there. What book are you reading: I Was A Man Favourite TV shows: Watching Test Rugby and the Reunion Rugby Show. Not many people know that I...: Am a budding artist and author – I have written two books. Concert you'd like to go to: Willie Nelson Name one talent you possess: Drawing humorous cartoons If you weren't in racing, you'd be: A lawyer. Defining moment in breeding: The success of Centaine – otherwise none of this would have happened. What do you do to relax: Go racing, trout fishing Favourite holiday destination: Lake Taupo Favourite restaurant: The Drawing Room at Mount Maunganui Favourite thing about Waikato Stud: The success Best piece of advice received: Make a decision and make it work

SATURDAY WHISTLING DIXIE 10f Gr.3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) H. Bay 2:21pm Pins x Zephyr Song (Danasinga) O’LOUGHLIN 10f Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes CJC 3:41pm O’Reilly x Disciple (Danasinga) (1200m) ZHANIM 10f Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes CJC 3:41pm Savabeel x Tafelberg (Kaapstad) (1200m) NO EXCUSE MAGGIE 06f Gr.1 Windsor Park Plate H.Bay 4:11pm No Excuse Needed x Maggie O’Reilly (O’Reilly) (1600m) PIMMS TIME 05f Gr.1 Windsor Park Plate H.Bay 4:11pm Pins x Brampton Legs (Zabeel) (1600m) OUR FAMOUS EVE 08f Gr.1 Windsor Park Plate H.Bay 4:11pm Fast ‘N’ Famous x Expoeve (Exploding (1600m) Prospect) ELIZA BLUES 08f Listed Karaka Classic (1600m) Counties 4:31pm O’Reilly x Censibelle (Centaine) SACRED FALLS 09c Gr.1 ATC 5:15pm O’Reilly x Iguazu’s Girl (Redoute’s Choice) (1600m) QUINTESSENTIAL 08f Gr.1 Naturalism Stakes MRC 6:15pm Fast ‘n’ Famous x Florette (Sword Dance) (2000m) SILENT ACHIEVER 08f Gr.1 Underwood Stakes MRC 6:55pm O’Reilly x Winning Spree (Zabeel) (1800m) CLASSIQUE IVORY 08g Listed Kalgoorlie Cup (2300m) Kalgoorlie 8:40pm Savabeel x Senorita Ivory (Senor Pete)

In the weeks ahead, we’d like to introduce to you some of the people behind the scenes at Waikato Stud.

This week much to his surprise, we chose our Farrier Les.

Les has been doing a first-rate job for Waikato Stud for the past 18 months.

He’s proved quite the dab hand on the recruitment team too. This week his brother Shaun Jnr joined the WS team as a Stallion Handler.

How did you get started in the game: Mucking out boxes and riding trackwork for my father Shaun Dwyer and Richard Otto at age 15. Got into the Farrier trade because: The money looked good and I enjoyed watching Dad and the farrier shoe the horses. Experience prior to joining WS: 6 years working on my own and as an apprentice in New Zealand and Australia, specialising in thoroughbreds and sport horses. How did you come to work here: Mark and Dad had a conversation at Melbourne Sales. I rang Mark after this to discuss a career at Waikato Stud and it all went from there. Enjoy most about Waikato Stud: Each day presents different challenges and the ability to formulate, in consultation with the Vet, the best possible solution for each horse’s unique farriery needs. Most Admired People in Racing: Bart Cummings and Dad. Biggest Farrier Achievement: Shod over 200 winners in a season. Favourite pastimes: Punting on racehorses and hanging out with my wife Tash and kids Trinity and Bobby. Favourite Restaurant: Breakfast Creek in Brisbane – best steaks in the world! Favourite : Villa Verde – she’s trained by Dad and looks a great chance Saturday. Favourite Saying: “Tough people last, tough times don’t” Music: Crowded House Favourite TV Show: The Mentalist.

The run of Commett for 2nd in the Gr.3 Merial Metric Mile on Saturday was a very good performance and has John Bary confident that he has this son of No Excuse Needed on track to claim this season’s Matamata Cup.

Commett is another example of the successful crossing of No Excuse Needed with mares carrying Marscay anywhere in their pedigrees. To date, there have been 9 runners bred this way for the impressive outcome of 4 stakes performed horses; being Snow Excuse, Commett, Taurus and Straitothepoolroom.

Other success for No Excuse Needed this week has come in Victoria and Hong Kong. In both cases these winners were sons of No Excuse Needed out of O’Reilly mares. That is a good reminder of the excellent results to date from this cross – being 72% winners/runners and 13.9% SW/Rnrs. These include the triple Gr.1 winner Daffodil, as well as No Excuse Maggie, I Do, Masquerade and Takeanotherchance.

So, if you have a mare who is either by O’Reilly or carries Marscay in her pedigree, No Excuse Needed continues to generate results that show what a great option he is for your mare, and at such excellent value for money.

If you would like to discuss your mating options for this season, please feel free to contact me via phone (021 433 073) or e-mail ([email protected]).

The NZ Thoroughbred Marketing-produced NZ Racing Annual is a must read for all thoroughbred enthusiasts and should be back from the printers around the middle of November.

To avoid missing out on this limited edition, you can pre-order at: http://www.nztm.co.nz/Racing- Annual

We’re only a few weeks in to the season, but already we’re approaching 100 foals on the ground, and the stallions have covered nearly 200 mares since their season started September 1st.

It’s been unbelievable. This would have to be up there as one of the best starts to the season, that I have ever been involved in.

Admittedly Mother Nature has played a significant part. The climate over winter ensured good grass in terms of quantity and quality, and this in turn has assisted the mares with cycling earlier than usual.

The farm has a lot of lovely foals about. Some of the stand outs include Star Affair’s So You Think half-sister to our Gr.1 bound racemare Thy, the O’Reilly full-brother to Gr.1 galloper Shamexpress, the Savabeel filly out of our Gr.1 racemare Daffodil and the first foals out of our homebred stakes winners Dating and Do Ra Mi by Savabeel and O’Reilly.

As you’d expect, Ocean Park and Rock ‘n’ Pop have taken to their new roles like ducks to water.

Personally, I love the challenge of training these colts to become kind, efficient stallions in the breeding barn. They are both serving extremely well and we can now say with the first couple of days scanning mares under our belt, that their results have been outstanding with multiple early positive tests showing for each.

Despite Sacred Falls’ barrier 8 draw, trainer Chris Waller believes he should be very competitive in Saturday’s Gr.1 George Main Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick.

He reunites with his Gr.1 Doncaster winning pilot Tommy Berry, so all things considered, he looks a great chance Saturday.

TIP: Sacred Falls – Race 5 - Saturday- ATC – 5:15pm