Octavia wins Listed Kevin Hayes

It was well deserved black type earned by Octavia at Caulfield on Saturday, the tough three-year-old having been so consistent throughout her preparation.

A game on-pacer who has not always had the best of luck, the bay defied all challenges in the Listed Kevin Hayes Stakes - finding the line in determined fashion after hitting the lead early in the straight.

As her rivals came at her over the final stages, Octavia dug deep - in doing so recording the third victory of her seven start career.

Unplaced only once in those seven starts - when fourth at her Kyneton debut last November, Octavia has given her enthusiastic owners a quick return on their investment, the filly still mostly owned by Michael Moroney up to only a

couple of months ago.

"Up to then I still owned about 80% of her," Moroney said of the $42,000 Classic Sale purchase who was paraded at Ballymore's popular annual open day on Melbourne Cup Eve.

"The people who ended up coming into her were mostly those who were there that day," he said - proving that our yearly event is a must attend!

Describing Octavia as "a lovely bodied filly with a great relaxed attitude," Moroney noted that she has done a good job to bounce back from an early set-back - an operation to remove a bone chip from her jaw.

Cleverly named after the sister of the first Roman Emperor, Octavia - a daughter of Holy Roman Emperor - is raced by Ballymore Stables, David & Delwyn Trubshoe, Rodney Johnston, Paul & Sharon Walker, Neale & Gaylene Donnelley, the Late Inclusion Syndicate (manager Brent Chapman), Robert & Rosalie Rice, Anthony Rice, Charles Bontorno, Maurice Baker, Janice Golinski, Owen & Carly Sparkes, Ms A M Bergin, Bernadette Laughton and Mark & Brenda Sexton.