Sweet Orange Mare Wins Stakes

Media Release - Sunday October 17

Underrated mare Sweet Clementine backed up a gritty win on a heavy track over 2000m at Matamata at her last start with her first stakes victory when she produced a powerful late finish to take the major honours in Sunday’s Listed Staphanos Classic (1950m) at Rotorua.

Sweet Clementine (orange cap) bursts between runners to take out the Listed Staphanos Classic (1950m) at Rotorua Photo Credit: Race Images – Kenton Wright

Sweet Clementine (orange cap) bursts between runners to take out the Listed Staphanos Classic (1950m) at Rotorua Photo Credit: Race Images – Kenton Wright

The Richard Collett-trained five-year-old showed she could be as effective on the Dead5 surface as she is on the deeper winter tracks, with an impressive turn of foot once she found clear air in the final 200m of the contest.

Given an economical run behind the pacemakers in the early stages of the race, rider Craig Grylls found himself in an awkward position behind a wall of horses as the field turned for home.

Grylls got to work as Sweet Clementine built up a head of steam and charged between runners to take the victory in the final bound from a brave Beaudz Well, who looked the winner with 50m to run.

A late finishing burst from River Run took third, with Pep Torque close up in fourth as just a long neck separated the first four home.

Collett had been adamant the mare had a black type win in her over ground and was delighted to achieve that goal.

“That was just excellent as we had always thought that once she got over a bit more ground, she would be effective on better tracks and could win at this level,” he said.

“I guess the big thing in her favour today was that she was rock hard fit.

“I had my brother Jim looking after her at Matamata last time and again today and he said when she came back in after the race, she wouldn’t have blown out a candle.

“It was also a top ride by Craig as he said he got pushed down to the rail early on and turning for home he had nowhere to go.

Advertisement

“Once he got clear she really sprinted hard and managed to just get up on the post.”

Collett will now look to another stakes race for the mare’s next run, with the Gr.3 Balmarino Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on Melbourne Cup day (November 2) the likely target.

“I’d like to target the stakes race at Ellerslie for her next, but I guess that is all dependent on whether they will be racing there,” he said.

“I’m expecting some news around the whole COVID lockdown in Auckland in the next week or so and it would be nice to think there is an easing of the border restrictions to allow racing to take place at Ellerslie.”

Sweet Clementine has now won five of her 24 starts and becomes the first stakes winner for Highview Stud stallion Sweet Orange.

Bred by Highview Stud principal Brent Gillovic and his son Kurtis, she is out of the unraced Senor Pete mare, Wealth Star and is a half-sister to the brilliant sprinter Wealth Princess, who was a stakes winner on both sides of the Tasman, winning five of her seven starts and was placed at Group One level in both the Gr.1 Tatt’s Tiara (1400m) in Queensland and the Gr.1 Waikato Draught Sprint (1400m) before injury cut short her promising career.

Sweet Clementine is also closely related to multiple Australian stakes winner Sports Works and is now a valuable commodity for any future career in the broodmare paddock.

The win also capped a fine day for Grylls who won four races on the eight-race card. – NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment

Race Result - Staphanos Classic LR 1950m

Arawa Park Track: Dead(5) Time: 1:58.89
1
Sweet Clementine
- 5m Sweet Orange (USA) x Wealth Star (NZ) (Senor Pete (USA))
Tnr: R D Collett Rdr: C J Grylls 56
2
0.1
Beaudz Well
- 5g Zed (NZ) x Celtic Rose (NZ) (Pins (AUS))
Tnr: J R Wheeler Rdr: S R Weatherley 56
3
0.2
River Run
- 7g Pour Moi (IRE) x Clearbrook Lane (NZ) (Star Way (GB))
Tnr: A W Pike Rdr: K Asano 53.5
4
0.4
Pep Torque
- 8g Nadeem (AUS) x Cosmic Flight (NZ) (Star Way (GB))
Tnr: Ms K Lawrence Rdr: K R Hercock 60
5
1.2
Two Madison
- 6m Ekraar (USA) x Penthouse Sweet (NZ) (Pentire (GB))
Tnr: L O'Sullivan & A Scott Rdr: A C Goindasamy 55
6
2.5
Katie Perrie
- 7m Rock 'n' Pop (AUS) x French Lion (AUS) (Lion Heart (USA))
Tnr: J C Collett Rdr: L J Allpress 55
7
4.0
Zee Falls
- 4m Sacred Falls (NZ) x Zelitist (NZ) (Zabeel (NZ))
Tnr: S B Marsh Rdr: D S Johnson 53.5
8
4.3
Cherry Lane
- 7m Redwood (GB) x Street Law (NZ) (Street Cry (IRE))
Tnr: N P Bishara Rdr: T L Newman 59
9
4.7
Dubai's Moko
- 5m Keeper (AUS) x Dubai Belle (NZ) (E Dubai (USA))
Tnr: C A Bambry Rdr: S J Macnab 53
10
18.3
Major Tom
- 8g Red Giant (USA) x Letsgoparty (NZ) (Oregon (USA))
Tnr: P & J Brosnan Rdr: B E Grylls 58.5
11
19.2
Quiz Kid
- 5g Iffraaj (GB) x Guessing (NZ) (Keeper (AUS))
Tnr: Craig & Shaun Phelan Rdr: E M Leighton 59.5
More Reading...
$2.1million Frankel Mare - Samantha Miss Legacy Ignites MM National
Back in 2009, the most expensive mare sold in Australia was Champion 3YO Filly Samantha Miss, who was bought by John Singleton for $3.85million and today at the Magic Millions National Sale two of her daughters sold for $2.1million and $1.25million, both going to Yulong.
Blue Gum Farm Announce 2025 Fees
Leading Victorian stud, Blue Gum Farm, is pleased to announce its 2025 stallion roster and service fees, headlined by exciting young sire Sejardan, who will stand at an unchanged fee of $13,750.
Dirty Work 2YO Dazzling Debut Winner
Widden Stud’s young Written Tycoon son Dirty Work had an impressive debut winner on Wednesday for the Phillip Stokes stable.
Can Zougotcha Outshine Sunlight?
The Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale kicks off on Tuesday with a stellar draft of race fillies and mares with one of the star lots tipped to be Zougotcha, who has many similarities with the 2020 sale-topper Sunlight.
Tragedy Sparks Reinvestment for Cressfield - $1.3million Lilliesformillie (USA)
Elite Hunter Valley nursery Cressfield were back in buying mode at the Magic Millions National Sale on Wednesday seeking to restock their stellar broodmare band after losing three G1 winning broodmares last year.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday May 27
Here is the full list of 28 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Stellar Pauline Sells for $1.15million
Widden Stud might be the home of Zoustar, but Antony Thompson has plenty of respect for reigning champion sire I Am Invincible and secured Stellar Pauline in foal to him for $1.15million at MM National on Wednesday.
Yulong Top Buyers List as MM National Mares Concludes
The beautifully related Group performer Call Di has topped the second and final day of the 2025 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale on the Gold Coast selling for $2.1million.
Yulong Purchase Another Oaks winner for $1.45million
Yulong are in the process of collecting paddocks full of Classic winners at their Victorian headquarters and added another at the Magic Millions National Sale on Wednesday when securing Lonhro’s VRC Oaks winner Aristia for $1.45million.
US Group I Winner for Zoustar
On a day when Widden Stud’s Zoustar produced the $5.25million top seller Zougotcha at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale he also sired a new Group I winner in North America where King of Gosford won the $300,000 Shoemaker Mile (1m) at Santa Anita.