Pencarrow Racing’s Makarska (Keeper) broke through for a deserved victory in the $7,000 Cato Bolam Maiden 1400m to be the first of two winners for Pencarrow today at Avondale.

The race favourite had three starts leading into the race, finishing fourth on debut before being spelled, and has since finished second and third in this preparation.

Trained by Ken and Bev Kelso, the daughter of Keeper drew barrier three and was sent to the front by James McDonald who is on a working holiday this week riding in New Zealand.

The pair was able to dictate the race from in front and scampered away in the home straight to win by 1.75 lengths on a Good 3 track.

“I was really confident, her work had been good and she had done well since her previous run,” commented Ken Kelso after the race.

“We had a nice draw, and James aboard, so I was quietly confident she would go a good race.

“She has shown a fair bit of ability and that was only her fourth start. She ran fourth at her first start as a two-year-old at Ruakaka and ran into a pretty good one at Taupo when she was second then got beaten a nose, a nose the other day and was a bit unlucky not to win.

“There is a chance we might aim her for a three-year-old fillies race somewhere to try to get some black-type.

“She is a half to Rhythm to Spare and the way she is bred, by Keeper out of a Zabeel mare, I don’t think a mile at this stage will be any problem to her.”

The maiden success came at the fourth start for the three-year-old filly that is owned by Peter Vela who bred the horse along with Philip Vela.

Makarska is the daughter of Group 1 placegetter Stanica (Zabeel) who has had three foals to race that have all won races now. Her best progeny is the promising Melbourne galloper Rhythm to Spare (Pins) who has been Group 3 placed and is a multiple city winner that ran in the Group 1 Emirates Stakes on the weekend.

Stanica has a yearling colt by Pins that has been retained by the Stud and she was served this season by All Too Hard.