At Trentham in New Zealand, Waikato Stud's Cox Plate winning stallion Savabeel (Zabeel-Savannah Success, by Success Express) celebrated an elite race success when 3YO New Zealand-bred filly Savvy Coup (Savabeel-Eudora, by Pins) outstayed her peers with a dominant win in the $400,000 Gr1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) for 3YO fillies, defeating Contessa Vanessa & Milseain. A $65,000 purchase at the 2016 NZB Premier Yearling Sale from the draft of Waikato Stud, Savvy Coup improved her record to 5 wins (including the Gr3 Lowland Stakes & Gr3 Eulogy Stakes) and 4 placings from 12 starts for NZ$447,750 in earnings. Co-trainer Matthew Pitman confirmed Savvy Coup would attempt to claim the trans Tasman Oaks double when she next steps out in the Gr1 Australian Oaks (2400m) at Royal Randwick on 14 April. "This is massive for us and all our team work incredibly hard," said Pitman, who trains Savvy Coup with his father Michael. "The way she won today we have to go [the the Australian Oaks]. She's a very fit horse...so we'll take that path as well." Savvy Coup's dam Eudora is a full-sister to the stakes winners Legless Veuve and Tootsie, while the latter is the dam of the talented recent Gr2 Tauranga Stakes winner Ocean Emperor.