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Sights set on another top prize

Sakhee’s Soldier’s comeback drill is all about the five-year-old doubling his Group One tally.

Sakhee's Soldier (outer) winning the Eagle Technology Stakes
Sakhee's Soldier (outer) winning the Eagle Technology Stakes Picture: Trish Dunell

He capped his meteoric rise last preparation when he defeated Rising Romance at the elite level in the New Zealand Stakes in the autumn before he underwent surgery to remove bone chips from both knees.

Sakhee's Soldier was unplaced when recently resuming in an open sprint at Ellerslie, where he struck an off track and carried 61.5kg.

“He’s come through it well and he’ll go to Tauranga on Saturday week next,” co-trainer Andrew Forsman said.

“As an older horse he’s going to need a race or two and his grand final will be the Zabeel Classic. He’ll come back for the autumn after that and hopefully go to the Sydney carnival.”

Meanwhile, Murray Baker and Forsman will send a small team to Hastings on Sunday headed by one of last season’s leading fillies.

Saavoya was the dual Group Two winner of the Eight Carat Classic and the Royal Stakes and she was spelled after finishing seventh in the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks.

“She’s had a couple of trials and she’s looking well,” Forsman said. “She needs to run and then we may look at the Group Two fillies and mares’ race (Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes) over 1400 metres at Avondale for her.”

Saavoya will resume on Sunday in the Livamol Optimiser 1400 under Craig Grylls, who will also ride stablemates Jubilant (Bostock NZ Mile) and Show Far Show Good (Trinity Hill 1400) while Jonathan Riddell is on Inastride (Twilight Races @ Hastings 10/12).
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