Bendigo trainer Shaun Dwyer looks to have a promising filly on his hands after the Kiwi-bred Savaju resumed with an impressive home-track victory in last Saturday’s $20,000 Wilde Plumbing BM64 Handicap (1100m).
Not sighted since the spring, the three-year-old was well backed from $8 into $5 for her first-up assignment with Nikita Beriman in the saddle.
It was a recipe that was successful last campaign, with the daughter of Savabeel saluting first up at Bendigo before tackling the Group 3 Red Roses Stakes on Oaks day then a restricted Sandown race.
Savaju appears to have relished her break, and after settling last in the small field she fanned wide and pounced on her rivals quickly, coming away under hands-and-heels riding for a dominant 3¼-length triumph.
Purchased at the 2015 New Zealand sales, Savaju has a pedigree that suggests the best is yet to come.
Her mother was a four-time winner over 1600 metres while Savabeel won the 2004 Cox Plate. The dam has also produced Raposo, the smart Patrick Payne-trained metropolitan winner over 1600 metres.
The victory was a welcome tonic for Dwyer, who had not registered a win since Savaju’s maiden victory in October.
New high for Alto
Sutton Grange trainer Paul Banks added a city win to his CV when Red Alto completed a hat-trick last Friday night’s $50,000 Quest Moonee Valley Handicap (1500m) at the Valley.
The victory made it four wins from five runs this campaign for the son of High Chaparral, who was sent out a $3.50 second elect with Luke Currie aboard. 
Given a box-seat run, the four-year-old chased hard and led into the home straight, holding off the challenge of Coram by a long neck. 
Sunday week’s $80,000 Wangaratta Cup could be his next assignment.
The victory was the 17th for Banks since last March, when he took over the Sutton Grange-based Cloud 9 Thoroughbreds operation in the absence of suspended trainer Brent Stanley. 
Stanley has now served his suspension and is in the process of regaining his licence, after which Banks will resume training his own small team of horses.
Banks last week had 17-year-old apprentice rider Alex Patis assigned to his care under the Racing Victoria apprentice jockey training program.
Daring pays for Parish
A good crowd turned out for the Marong Cup at Bendigo last Saturday, with the Lindsay Park-trained Honey Steel’s Gold ($9.50) upsetting Lloyd Williams-owned favourite Goodwill in the feature $25,000 event.
Cory Parish was rewarded for a tactical ride on Honey Steel’s Gold, taking off mid-race and holding off the challenges to register the gelding’s eighth win.
Over the past 12 years the Marong Racing Club has raised $500,000 for Bendigo’s Catholic primary schools thanks to a host of volunteers.
Prince to paddock
Kym Hann has had to pull up stumps on the campaign of last-start Caulfield winner Glenrowan Prince, who will have to undergo surgery to remove a bone chip in his fetlock.
The horse, who gave Hann his first city when scoring first up from a spell on February 4, horse will require a three-month spell after the operation. 
The news came as a blow for his connections as the horse has already endured and overcome fetlock and suspensory injuries.