Saxon Notches First Winner At Ascot

Danehill’s Queensland Guineas winning son Saxon joined the list of first season sires with winners when his daughter Saxabelle scored an impressive win at Ascot today.

A member of the powerful Trevor Andrews stable, Saxabelle showed great fight over the concluding stages to hold out the challenge from Right Time.

She is the second runner and first winner for her sire Saxon, a resident of Heytesbury Thoroughbreds.

The win was a nice bonus for the Andrews stable who only took over the training of the filly after her owners opted for a recent stable change.

“She a very tough filly,” Andrews said of Saxabelle. “She’s been very well educated – I’ve only had her for two weeks.”

“I must pay full credit to Darren McAuliffe and his staff – they have done all the work.”

“Looking at her in the yard before the race I thought she had presented a bit big.”

“But I really couldn’t have done any more work with her coming in.”

“The concern was that she might have lacked the early pace and got out her ground. But to her credit she found the line really strong and she’s got a pretty bright future.”

“She is the first of the Saxons I’ve had the honour of training.”

“She’s a really tough filly. She’s got an amazing constitution and that is the key to these two-year-olds.”

“When you’re trying to get them ready for these days you need them eating and if this is any indication of what the Saxons will be like he should have a nice future.”

Saxabelle was purchased for just $14,000 from the draft of Toreby Park at this year’s Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale. She collected $32,500 for her debut win.

The promising youngster is the first winner from three to race for his dam, the Fuji Kiseki mare Kiseki Belle.

Unplaced in two runs, Kiseki Belle is a daughter of the WA Oaks placegetter My Marebelle and is therefore a half sister to WA Guineas runner-up My Pago.

My Pago is the dam of the Placid Ark Stakes winner Dancing Pago – the dam of Belmont Oaks winner Rock My Pago and stakes placegetter Dance Across.

Saxon, trained during his racetrack career by Gerald Ryan, was a high class galloper – winning four races including the Group Two Queensland Guineas and Group Three Doomben Classic.

The promising young Danehill stallion has 13 likely youngsters catalogued for February’s 2011 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale at Belmont.