The Mick Price-trained Savaheat made light work of his rivals at Sandown on Easter Monday winning the Le Pine Funerals Handicap (1800m).
Ridden by Damien Oliver, the four-year-old gelding by Savabeel travelled nicely at the rear of the field before making his move with 800m to go. He looped the field and hit the lead at the 500m mark and held off his challengers to win by a length from Tavirun.
“It was a good win,” stable representative Mick Nolan said.
“The 1800m suits him. The way the race was run suited him and he was going to be hard to beat in the straight home.”
It was the third win for the $220,000 graduate of Trelawney Stud’s 2016 New Zealand Bloodstock yearling draft, and the first for the Price stable since transferring from Darren Weir.
“This is probably his grade but with a bit of maturity he might get better,” Nolan said.
“He is suited to these type of races. He is a fairly easy horse to train with no problems or issues.”
Meanwhile, in Sydney the Bryce Heys-trained Subban, also by New Zealand’s champion sire Savabeel, notched his fifth win from 11 starts when successful over 1800m.