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Richard Jolly’s punt on first season sire Alabama Express can reap a fast return when Karavas steps out in the inaugural $50,000 Moorundi Classic (900m) at Murray Bridge on Saturday.
Karavas was a $260,000 purchase from the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale while stablemate Avanzo, by Star Witness, was a $110,000 but from the Inglis Classic Sale.
"With Nev Morgan we paid a bit for her (Karavas), she was obviously a pretty good type,'' Richard Jolly said.
"I like to buy on type a bit more when you like them, roll the dice and have a crack at something.
"You can't go and by an I Am Invincible for that type of money, they make four times that,'' he said.
Both horses won their respective jump out at Murray Bridge and Jolly said it was hard to separate the pair.
"They've done all the work together and there isn't much between them,'' Jolly said.
"In the jump out Karavas looked visually better, but I thought the other filly didn't do anything wrong.
"Karavas got back, come off their backs and looked really good late. The other filly landed in front and floated a bit in front until something came at her, it's just a shame we have to run them against each other,'' he said.
SA's leading stable will saddle up two runners in the $120,000 Murray Bridge Cup, Pudding and Regalo Di Gaetano.
"Pudding as drawn two which is ideal,'' Jolly said.
"As soon as acceptors came out for Balak(lava) he had no hope drawn the outside and then he missed the kick a bit.
"He got beat four lengths which I thought was a good run.
"He's fitter, down in the weights, and in my eyes I think he's a great chance,'' he said.
Jolly said the stable had taken a different path with 2021 Cup winner Regalo Di Gaetano who has been struggling to find his best form.
"We done something different with him,'' Jolly said.
"He's been spending some time with Kayla Crowther and working up in the forest and doing a bit of jumping.
"He's just older and his best years are beyond him. We've done everything to try and stimulate him and bring his best but he's probably a couple of lengths of where he was a couple of years ago,'' he said.
