The Honours Are Hers

From the family dual Group One winner Te Akau Shark (Rip Van Winkle), Get Honor (3 f Savabeel – Honor, by Rip Van Winkle) recorded a smart debut victory in the $42,500 Sportsbet Fast Form Maiden 3YO Fillies 1300 metres on 21 January at Sandown. 

After getting back and running home strongly for second in an 800-metre jump out on 5 January at Cranbourne, Get Honor shaped to race well first-up from barrier four, and adopted similar tactics in the hands of Champion Jockey Damian Lane.

Despite settling rearward, Get Honor was effectively three-back on the inner passing the 600m, and sweated on a run near the rail before dashing through at the 100m to win stylishly.

Commentator Matt Hill summed it up, when saying: “Get Honor is trying to dart through, back to the inside, with a needle eye gap, drives up on the inside and blew the whistle and won it.”

It was a patient ride, which paid off, and a classy commencement to racing by a filly that obviously has both ability and quality. 

“It’s the sign of a horse that had been well prepared, well educated, and she handled herself really well amongst horses,” Lane said.

“She can go on with it, because she’s got a turn of foot and that should hold her in good stead going forward.”

On Good4 footing, Get Honor ran 1300 metres in 1:18.8, last 600m in 34.5, and paid $3.50 & $1.50 on the NZ TAB tote. 

“It’s great to have the support of Waikato Stud, in Melbourne, and it was a great performance to win like that on debut,” said trainer Mark Walker. 

“It was a lovely ride of Damian Lane’s and she’ll take great confidence from the win. She’s a talented filly and we can look forward to some bigger targets in the future.”

Assistant trainer Ben Gleeson, said on course: “She was terrific and fair play to Damian (Lane), he nursed her behind a wall of horses and gave her every chance to balance-up. She’s not big in stature, but she’s got a big heart and for her first start today she was fantastic.

“The Chittick family have been very patient and given us all the time in the world to let her come to hand. 

“She jumped out against a Mick Price trained horse that has since won impressively, and that gave us a good deal of confidence.

“Mark (Walker) knows these Savabeel fillies so well, and it’s proved a good decision to put the visor headgear on. 

“She’s going to be a lovely broodmare one day for Waikato Stud, and let’s hope we can get some City black type with her in the interim.

“The 1300 metres was ideal first-up and we’ll probably step her up to 1400m, next, and see if she can get out to a mile.”

Bred and owned by Mark Chittick, at Waikato Stud, the home of 10-time Champion Sire Savabeel (Zabeel), Get Honor is the year older sister to Honour Roll (Savabeel), whom David Ellis CNZM purchased at the 2025 Karaka Book 1 Sale, from the draft of Waikato Stud, and he drew out on bridle for a stylish win when trialling on Tuesday at Pukekohe, for owners in the Te Akau Honour Me Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM). 

The pair are out of a three-quarter sister (Honor) to Te Akau Shark (Rip Van Winkle), a dual Group One winner that achieved cult status.

Purchased by David Ellis at Karaka, the gifted galloper won the Group 1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) and Group 1 Chipping Norton (1600m) in Sydney, while finishing second the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m), and third in the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) both in Sydney, and the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) in Melbourne.

Bought for $230,000, Te Akau Shark won seven from 14 and $1.5 million prize money.

Grand-dam Bak Da Princess, by Group 1 2000 Guineas winner Danske (Danehill), produced Group One winner Pondarosa Miss (High Chaparral), an enormously talented mare, and multiple-Group winning Ecuador (High Chaparral).

While third dam Havitbak (Bakharoff) has been worth her weight in gold as the matriarch of the ‘Hollinshead’ family, leaving Group 2 Waikato Cup (2400m) winner Bak da Chief (Chief Bearhart), the dam of Te Akau Shark. 

Waikato Stud is offering a yearling brother to Get Honor and Honour Roll at the Karaka 2026 Book 1 Sale, Lot 477, on Monday 26 January at Karaka. 

Get Honor has a bloodline cross of legendary sire Sir Tristram (Sir Ivor), on the sire line of Savabeel and dam line of Honor. 

Get Honor was strapped by Camelle Davies.