Durable performers Go Lottie and Makabar took their winning tallies into double figures when they saluted at Riverton on Saturday.
The pair were bred by Gerry Harvey with the former continuing her good run of recent form with success over 1400 metres.
Go Lottie settled at the tail of the field and wound up powerfully in the run home for apprentice Amber Riddell to reel in her rivals and make it two wins and a runner-up finish from her last three appearances.
The daughter of Telperion has proved a cracking investment for trainer Kelvin Tyler, who secured her out of Westbury Stud’s draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale for just $1500 and has now won more than $220,000.
Go Lotte is out of the Red Giant mare Ashima, who is a half-sister to multiple winner and stakes performer Lucky Edie.
They are granddaughters of the former champion staying mare Jezabeel, the dual Group 1 winner of the Melbourne Cup and Auckland Cup.
Ashima’s son of Tarzino, named Rebel Rouser, sold for A$110,000 to trainer Steven Cole and agent Bevan Smith at last year’s Magic Millions National Yearling Sale and the dam has since produced a colt and daughter to the multiple Group 1-winning son of Tavistock.
Makabar provided a pleasant surprise, in more ways than one, when the Michael and Matthew Pitman-trained veteran trumped his open class rivals over 1200 metres.
The stable expected the nine-year-old, who started at better than 40 to one, be all the better for the outing.
“We hadn’t seen the best of Makabar lately, but he’s a true heavy-track horse. He’s a superior wet-tracker and he showed that,” Michael Pitman said.
Makabar settled at the back of the field and powered home along the fence under Kylie Williams.
The son of Swiss Ace was a $55,000 Karaka graduate and is out of the Encosta De Lago mare Sierra Gold a granddaughter of the two-time Group 1 winner Isca.
Sierra Gold has a two-year-old sister to Makabar and a yearling filly by El Roca.