Punters that took the short odd on Probabeel went straight to the bar after the star New Zealander found a way to win Saturday’s $200,000 Group III Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes at Caulfield.
Brendan and Jo Lindsay’s money-making daughter of Savabeel looked in all sought of trouble when well back on the turn. As she has done 12 times previously, Probabeel climbed off the canvas to defeat Tom Dabernig’s Tavistock mare Flying Mascot by a short-half-head with the Toronado (IRE) mare Mariamia a short-head back in third.
Trained by Jamie Richards, Probabeel was making her first start since finishing fifth in the Cox Plate last October.
It was the tenth stakes win for the 4-time Group 1 winner advancing her record to 13wins and eight seconds from 29 starts with earnings of $4,358,978.
Stable rep Brad Taylor broke the good news to Richards who is back in New Zealand.
“I just spoke to Jamie on the phone. I said, you probably don’t want to watch that one again, but at least she’s got the job done so we’ll push on,” Taylor said.
“It was a terrific effort. She usually comes off the bridle a little bit but not like she did today. She’s got a real will to wins, and you watch the last 50,she puts her head out and get the job done.
“She’s a fantastic mare now and a big congratulations to Cambridge Stud - great supporters of our industry here and in New Zealand.
“She’s just a mare that turns up every campaign and credit to Jamie.
“She’ll head to the Futurity now and then into the All-Star Mile and, as Jamie said, hopefully it doesn’t rain on grand final day.”
Brett Prebble praised the mare’s courage.
“She just hit a flat patch and was spinning her wheels a bit,” Prebble said.
“We were up in a more forward position to what she’d normally be. “I felt the pace wasn’t that quick, but they dropped the hammer before the turn and really made a bit of a sprint home and that’s where she hit that flat patch.
“Then her stamina and her class kicked in late. It was a good feeling.
“It’s always hard carrying big weight and she’s a little bit older, too. Her determination and her ability, she’s always a pleasure to ride and I’m lucky to have the opportunity.”
Probabeel was purchased by David Ellis for $380,000 out of the Waikato Stud draft at the 2018 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale.
She is the only foal of the stakes-placed Pins mare Far Fetched who died at the age of seven in 2017.
Far Fetched was a three-quarter sister to Group II MRC Thousand Guineas Prelude and Group III Manfred Stakes winner Legless Veuve and the Group III MRC Mannerism Stakes winner and Group 1 WRC Telegraph Hcp runner-up Tootsie.
