The Group III DC McKay Stakes at Morphettville on Saturday is a story easily told.
Barend Vorster took the 5yo Kuroshio gelding Savatoxl to the front shortly after the start and increased his margin at every call to defeat the Sepoy gelding Pandemic by three lengths with the Street Boss (USA) gelding a further one and three-quarter lengths back in third.
It was just the second start for Savatoxl since he captured the Listed Christmas Handicap at Morphettville in December.
“He’s a really tough horse who just likes to roll along at a good tempo,” Calvin McEvoy said.
“He was beautifully ridden by Barend, who took control of the race. It was beautiful to see.
“He is pretty versatile, but I think he is a sprinter and he would be a live chance in the (Group 1) Goodwood on that run.”
A prolific winner in Alice Springs and Darwin, Savatoxl advanced his record to 15 wins, one second and two thirds from 27 starts with earnings of $449,165.
Purchased by the Alice Springs Turf Club for $8,000 out of the Stonehouse Thoroughbreds draft at the 2017 Inglis VOBIS Gold Yearling Sale, Savatoxl is the best of three winners from six to race out of the Savabeel mare Li’l Miss Hayley.
A half-sister to stakes-placed Total Response (Kheleyf), Li’l Miss Hayley was purchased for just $5,000 at the 2011 Inglis Australian Easter Broodmare Sale.
Li’l Miss Hayley has a yearling filly by Needs Further and was covered by him again last spring.
A Group II winning son of Exceed And Excel and a brother to stakes-winner Believe'n'succeed, the dam of Epsom Derby hero Anthony Van Dyck and Group 1 winner Bounding, Kuroshio shuttled to Great Britain for four seasons and did not return after 2018.
