Too Sweet enters Karaka Millions calculations
Daughter of Satono Aladdin impresses in Ellerslie’s Eclipse Stakes
Too Sweet (Satono Aladdin) advertised her credentials for the Karaka Millions 2YO (RL, 1200m) when she brushed aside a talent-packed field to land Wednesday’s Eclipse Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) at Ellerslie.
Brought north by her trainer Roydon Bergerson after winning on debut at Trentham back in October and then finishing second at that venue in early December, the daughter of Rich Hill Stud-based stallion Satono Aladdin (Deep Impact) kicked away from her rivals at the 300-metre mark under Michael McNab to beat La Dorada (Super Seth) by 1.5 lengths. Almakeitgood (Ardrossan) finished another 0.2 lengths away in third.
Bergerson was thrilled with the way the filly handled the Auckland track ahead of the $1 million Karaka Millions 2YO at the same venue on January 25, and he is excited for the syndicate who race her, which includes his son Sam (co-trainer of runner-up La Dorada) and Chris Rutten, who bought her from the Phoenix Park draft out of Book 2 of the Karaka National Yearling Sale last year.
“There is nothing much better in racing than when you win a race for your son, the leading trainer in New Zealand,” Bergerson said.
“She won pretty well and is a good horse with a good brain on her.
“Michael took the initiative, as our plan was to drop in behind them, but she flew the gate and that was it.”
Bergerson confirmed that Too Sweet would follow in the footsteps of another top juvenile filly he trained in Wolverine (Tivaci), who won the same event in 2022 before finishing runner-up to Dynastic (Almanzor) in the Karaka Million 2YO three weeks later.
There is nothing much better in racing than when you win a race for your son, the leading trainer in New Zealand
“I think she is as good as Wolverine as she has a great turn of foot and probably has a better brain all around,” he said.
“Sam can take over now as we will leave her at Te Akau where she will go out on the water walker for a week and then bring her back here in three weeks.”
McNab admitted he threw the original game plan out the window when the filly jumped brilliantly at the start.
“The plan was to ride her quiet from a wide gate as there looked good speed [on paper],” he said.
“After I’d gone a few strides, I thought I might as well be the one who takes it up [pacemaking] and it worked out really well.
“She was a little aggressive and quite fresh, but she found a good kick and that gives you confidence for what’s ahead.
“She can race from behind, from the front, so she can do it all.”
Too Sweet (2 f Satono Aladdin – Sparkling Rose by Bernardini) is out of the unraced mare Sparkling Rose (Bernardini) and in winning Wednesday’s Group 2 became the first stakes winner in three generations of his family.
The filly’s fourth dam is Group 1 winner Grand Echezeaux (Zabeel), who produced multiple Group 1 winner and successful The Oaks Stud-based sire Darci Brahma (Danehill) and Group 3 scorer Burgundy (Redoute’s Choice).
Satono Aladdin stood at Rich Hill for a fee of $65,000 (plus GST) last year and his progeny is headed by Group 1 winner Pennyweka.
Oaks plans for Real Class
Promising filly Real Class (Vadamos) put herself firmly into $1 million New Zealand Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) calculations following her victory in the Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (Gr 2, 2000m) at Ellerslie on Wednesday, writes the NZ Racing Desk.
The daughter of Vadamos (Monsun) settled midfield under Rory Hutchings, who elected to improve his filly three-wide from the 800-metre mark and hit the lead within 200 metres. Her rivals were looming on the turn, but Real Class was able to show her tenacity and repelled their advances to win by 0.8 lengths over the fast-finishing Bella Montagna (Belardo).
Real Class is accruing an enviable record, having now won two of her four starts, and was well backed by punters on Wednesday following her third placing in the Eight Carat Classic (Gr 2, 1600m) at the Auckland track last week.
Trainer Jenna Mahoney, who races the filly with her partner Grant Dixon, is excited about Real Class’s prospects following the win.
“It was a top ride from Rory,” she said. “It is nice to have another handy one in the stable.”
Mahoney is now eyeing a path towards the New Zealand Oaks at Trentham in March and believes the distance is ideal for her filly.
“She should love the 2400 metres, the further she goes the better she will get I think,” she said.
Bred by Greg Tomlinson under his Nearco Stud banner, Real Class is out of the Group 1-placed mare Mill Duckie (Magic Ring), who herself finished tenth in the corresponding race in 2009 before going on to win the Sunline Vase (Listed, 2100m) and place in the New Zealand Oaks for Richard Collett.
She is also the dam of the stakes-placed duo Righteous Mate (Savabeel) and High Class (Shocking), with Mahoney training the latter to finish runner-up in the 2015 renewal of the Soliloquy Stakes (Listed, 1400m).
It was this association that led to Mahoney acquiring Real Class.
“Because we had a lot to do with the family, we got offered her to carry on with and we decided to give her a go off Gordon Cunningham from Curraghmore,” she said.
While Mahoney is looking forward to a potentially lucrative autumn campaign with her filly, she said there has already been interest from foreign buyers.
“There has been a fair bit of interest from Australia, so we will see what happens,” the trainer added.
