Karrakatta on radar for Jevilla
Two-year-old filly Jevilla bounded into Karrakatta Plate calculations with a defiant win on debut at Ascot yesterday.
Prepared by Keysbrook trainer Elva Van Merwyk, Jevilla showed gate speed to jump straight to the front in the Westspeed 2YO Plate (1000m).
The daughter of Reward For Effort fought on strongly for jockey Kyra Yuill, holding off the fast-finishing Danerip's Girl ($8.50) to score by a short head.
Orbit The Sun, who started equal favourite at $2.50, ran a close third despite racing wide throughout.
Jevilla was a big drifter in betting, blowing out from $4 to $8 despite boasting trial victories over subsequent city winners Fremond and Shady Gray.
"She's been good from day one," Van Merwyk said.
"She's nominated for the Karrakatta and we'll go to the Gimcrack next. Ryan (Hill) has done all the work with her and he would have been on today if he wasn't suspended."
The $150,000 Gimcrack Stakes (1100m) is run on March 14, a fortnight before the $500,000 Karrakatta Plate (1200m). Van Merwyk, who trains a small team of gallopers, paid $26,000 for Jevilla at last year's Magic Millions Perth yearling sale.
Jevilla is a half-sister to The Alfonso, a four-times winner in Sydney for Australia's leading trainer Chris Waller.
Meanwhile, Rodeo Drive will be aimed at the $250,000 WA Oaks (2400m) after scoring a breakthrough win yesterday.
The Neville Parnham-trained filly went into the Westspeed Handicap (1500m) as a 10-start maiden but had shown ability with four placings in city races.
Rodeo Drive ($9) was poised to strike outside the leader Boom Time at the turn and kicked clear to beat Sheerkat ($7.50) by half a length. Boom Time ($5) held on for third.
"We decided to bypass the summer carnival and target the Oaks (March 28)," Parnham said.
"Hopefully she'll get up over a bit of ground, being by Street Cry, and her half-sister Brava Fortune ran third in the Oaks. She's a horse with a lot of ability but she's taken time to mature."
Rodeo Drive's dam, Fortune Streak, ran fourth to Honor Lap in the 2002 Oaks.
