She was first-up since July, but the Bryce Heys-trained Po Kare Kare ($5.50) has put them to the sword in a dominant display at Royal Randwick.
The Savabeel mare let down strongly along the rails over the concluding stages to defeat Rupertaar ($5) by three quarters of a length going away from them. The well-backed Twice As Special ($8.50) was a further length away in third place.
The race changed complexion over the final furlong with the two early leaders Pretty Wild and Edna fading to finish second-last and third-last respectively.
Heys was in awe of the sheer size of his mare, and was grateful of the steer by jockey Nash Rawiller.
“She’s a really tough mare, she’s a monster. I just thought she paraded so well for being first-up,” Heys said.
“She’s a work in progress and she’ll keep improving for another preparation yet without getting too carried away.
“She’s a big barrelled mare and lucky Nash was on that’s all I can say.”
Rawiller is building up a nice affinity with Po Kare Kare, now winning three times from just four rides and he was impressed with his mount’s turn of foot first-up.
“She’s been a really promising horse the whole way through her career and had a few little issues, but Bryce knows her well,” Rawiller said.
“When she settled like that and didn’t worry about anything I was very confident.
“For some reason if you switch her on mid-race it takes that finish out of her.
“She’s travelled with the same rhythm today right throughout until I asked her and she was explosive.”
As to what’s next for the promising four-year-old, Heys was keeping a lid on it.
“She’d run well first-up her last two preparations but she’s a much bigger horse this time around,” Heys said.
“She’s a bit stronger and I thought that in itself would have her handle the 1100m.”
“(We’ll) just keep her in her grade, that will do her the world of good and just see how she comes out of it,”
