I Wish I Win flies home in the Kingsford Smith
I Wish I Win (Savabeel) silenced his doubters when he broke through for his second Group 1 success on Saturday in Eagle Farm’s Kingsford-Smith Cup (1300m), gritting his teeth in an epic finish to turn the tables on his Doomben 10,000 (Gr 1, 1200m) conqueror Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai).
The son of Waikato Stud’s all-conquering titan Savabeel (Zabeel) has been one of the major stories of the Australasian turf for the past three years; the former crocked foal, born with a bizarrely angled foreleg, who rose to become a sprinting sensation.
But while he has shown his high class since a cross-Tasman transfer to Peter Moody’s stable in mid-2022 – with eight-figure earnings and four victories including Rosehill’s $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) – the rising six-year-old hadn’t saluted the judge since April last year.
Though he’d had only four more outings since that initial top-tier victory in Randwick’s TJ Smith Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m), his two seconds and two thirds had led some to ask whether his finest days were behind him, even if one runner-up medal was earned in October’s The Everest (1200m).
I Wish I Win raised some more eyebrows when he was unable to get past Ciaron Maher’s gritty mare Bella Nipotina in the Doomben 10,000, going down by the barest of margins under James McDonald, who’d partnered him for the first time the start before when a 0.34 length third in this year’s TJ Smith.
On Saturday, however, with Moody’s old partner Luke Nolen back in the saddle – after his controversial recent replacement by McDonald – it was vintage I Wish I Win, as the flashy black gelding prevailed by 0.4 lengths.
It was vintage Nolen as well, as he neatly lifted his 40th career Group 1 and Moody’s 60th, three of which have now come in his partnership with Katherine Coleman.
On a deteriorating Soft6, I Wish I Win had what was on this occasion the misfortune to draw barrier one. While Nolen had settled midfield on the fence amid a tepid pace set by distance doubt Uncommon James (Cable Bay), he managed to fulfil orders by easing six runners wide around the home turn, while the field deserted the rail.
After a brief bumping duel with Magic Time (Hellbent) to his outside, I Wish I Win found clear air at the 300-metre mark, only to also find Bella Nipotina and Craig Williams flying to the lead up an inside run. Switching sides from their Doomben duel, the pair drew close together to fight a second torrid weight-for-age battle. This time the gelding – with blinkers added and nose roll removed – refused to be denied.
After chalking his fourth win from nine rides on the sprinter, Nolen – who of course shared the phenomenal story of the unbeaten Black Caviar (Bel Esprit) with Moody – didn’t mince words in regard to his old mate’s jockey bookings on the sprinter. While Nolen was injured at the time of April’s TJ Smith, he was overlooked for the 10,000 ride in favour of McDonald, who is riding in Japan this weekend.
“I’ve done a lot on this horse. Obviously I was a bit disappointed being off, but we made amends today [Saturday],” the 44-year-old Nolen said.
“Some days you’re at the top and other days you’re at the bottom, so you take each day as it comes. I was pretty down, but these experiences are character building. I’ve got plenty of bloody character now, don’t worry.
“The race worked out pretty good. Pete was mindful that he wanted me to get out, and I said: ‘I’ve drawn one you bastard, make it a bit harder!’
“We gained a run on the outside of the leaders’ heels at the 300. I knew we could finish over him, but with two weeks between runs he’s never as dynamic. He was probably more tradesman-like today. Softer ground, too. On top of the ground they wouldn’t have seen which way he went.”
With Moody having to dash off to saddle the stable’s two runners in the Queensland Derby before Nolen and I Wish I Win returned to scale, Coleman said having Nolen back aboard had added “another layer” to the story.
“We had a fair bit of confidence, but barrier one, he was going to need a good ride from Luke, and I’m so thrilled for Luke to win this on him as well,” Coleman said.
“He’s worked hard to get back on him and that adds another layer to it.
“There were definitely a few nervous moments there, we said pre-race we were going to need some magic from Luke and he was able to provide that.”
I Wish I Win is currently third-favourite for the $3 million Stradbroke Handicap (Gr 1, 1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 15, for which he has top weight of 58.5 kilograms. Coleman, however, said he would likely spell before another tilt at The Everest.
“We’ll just see how he pulls up, but I’d say he’ll go and have a little break now and will prep him for the spring and The Everest,” she said.
I Wish I Win is the seventh of eight named foals from the now-deceased dual-New Zealand winning mare Make A Wish (Pins), whose third foal was the Group 3-winning and Group 1-placed mare Another Dollar (Ocean Park).
Her 2021 foal Winning Wish (Ocean Park) – bought by Moody at the Karaka Yearling Sale for $375,000 – died without racing, while her 2022 filly by Super Seth (Dundeel) has not been offered at public auction.
Savabeel rose one spot to seventh on the Australian general sires’ list through Saturday’s result – after a career-best third placed finish last term – and sits fourth by stakes winners (10) and third by stakes wins (12).
Spread through Australasia and south-east Asia – Waikato Stud’s flagbearer has 145 stakes winners from 1308 runners at 11.08 per cent.
In Australia, the 22-year-old has 525 winners from 742 runners at 70.75 percent, including 65 stakes victors.
While I Wish I Win’s latest Group 1 win has no bearing on the New Zealand sire standings, Savabeel is on track to be crowned champion sire in New Zealand after relinquishing his eight-year stranglehold on the title, when finishing second to Rich Hill Stud’s Proisir (Choisir) last season.