Exciting Savabeel filly Savvy Coup got her New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series campaign underway in style on Saturday with a classy win in the G3 Eulogy Stakes at Awapuni.

South Island-trained Savvy Coup cut down the favourite Dijon Bleu in the last 100 metres for the father-son Riccarton training combination of Michael and Matthew Pitman and their long-time stable clients the Bruford and Coupland families.

Savvy Coup was bred by Waikato Stud and is a daughter of the Pins mare Eudora, a full-sister to the stakes winners Legless Veuve and Tootsie.

The latter is the dam of the recent G2 winner Ocean Emperor (Zabeel).

Bought for $65,000 at the NZB Karaka Premier Sale in 2016, Savvy Coup has now had eight starts for three wins, two placings and $86,125 in prize-money.

Waikato Stud will offer a full-brother to Savvy Coup during Book 1 of Karaka 2018 in January.

The Eulogy Stakes second by the Burgundy filly Dijon Bleu has seen her extend her Filly of the Year Series lead. With 16 points she leads from Savabeel’s NZ 1000 Guineas winner Hasahalo (12 points) with Savvy Coup now third with 6 points.

The next leg of the Series is the G2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) on Boxing Day at Ellerslie followed by the G2 Royal Stakes at the same venue six days later.

That will be an opportunity for other fillies to stake their series claim as Savvy Coup and Dijon Bleu are not expected to travel north to Auckland.

Dijon Bleu had previously won the G3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) and ran second in the 1000 Guineas (1600m).

Savabeel sired his 71st stakes winner on Saturday when his highly rated son Royal Success took a big step forward with his first black type win in the G3 Swap Contractors Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa.

The 5YO Royal Success, who fetched big prices in two trips through the Karaka sale ring, was having just his 12th start for his sixth win for the Te Akau syndicate.

Bred by the late Jim Campin at Chequers Stud, Royal Success was first sold at Karaka as a yearling at the 2014 Premier Sale for $130,000. He returned as a 2YO for the 2014 Ready to Run Sale where he made $250,000.

His dam is the multiple Listed winner Royal Show (Deputy Governor), who has produced another five winners including the three-time Australian Group winner Folding Gear (Johar).

Domesday’s consistent performer Five To Midnight claimed the biggest win of his career in Saturday’s G3 Waikato Cup at Te Rapa, lifting his prize-money to almost double his purchase price at Karaka.

The Lisa Latta-trained gelding had previously won the Listed Hawke’s Bay Gold Cup and had been placed in the G2 Awapuni Gold Cup, G3 City of Auckland Cup, G3 Counties Cup, G3 Manawatu Cup and G3 Manawatu Classic.

Five To Midnight has now won six of his 27 starts, earning $272,710 for owners Kamada Racing after Latta paid $165,000 to buy him from The Oaks Stud’s draft at the 2014 NZB Karaka Select Sale.

Five To Midnight is out of the winning Fastnet Rock mare Fastnet Lady, who has a filly by Roc de Cambes entered for at Book 2 at Karaka 2018 in January.