Michael O’Keefe and Veronica King have invested significantly in backing Bryce Hayes, but the Montreal-based owners were not on track to witness their Savabeel mare Po Kare Kare open her stakes account in the Group III Robrick Lodge Triscay Stakes (1200m) at Randwick.
Tyler Schiller navigated a path between runners in the straight on the lightly raced 4yo mare to defeat Jump The Broom (Sebring) by one and a quarter lengths with Swats That (Shamus Award) a nose back in third.
A $100,000 Book 1 Karaka purchase for Ellerslie Lodge from the Curraghmore draft, Po Kare Kare advances her record to four wins and two thirds from nine starts with earnings of $245,015.
“She worked unbelievably. She came out of her last run super, and I was happy enough to push on to the plan to run here third-up,” Hayes said.
“She had done so well it was one of those things, I don't really get nervous, but I got nervous just because of how well she had worked the early part of the week. So I was worried she had left it there at home. In this game you never get ahead of yourself.
“This is massive for her owners. She's Danehill free and is a very valuable broodmare prospect now. This particular ownership group have been with me from day dot.”
Bred by Dalanna Bloodstock Pty Ltd and Tunstall Bloodstock, Po Kare Kare is the only winner from two to race for the winning Encosta de Lago mare Suadela.
On a day when it was common for dams of stakes-winners to be sold off cheaply, Suadela followed the trend. She was sold by Lime Country Thoroughbreds to Patrick Weal for $3,500 at the 2021 Inglis March (Early) Online Sale. She was covered by Doubtlamd in 2021 and sent to New Zealand.
Po Kare Kare is the 131st stakes-winner for Waikato Stud’s multiple champion stallion Savabeel.
