Well-related Clean Energy scores first stakes win
Big spring targets could now lie in wait for Clean Energy after she followed up her Warwick Farm maiden success with a triumph in Saturday’s Bill Carter Services at Doomben.
Ridden by Adam Hyeronimus, the filly settled outside the leader, Zatanna (Jungle Cat). Hitting the front at the 300 metres, the daughter of Zoustar (Northern Meteor) was always holding the challenge of Lady Shenandoah (Snitzel), eventually beating that rival by 0.8 lengths. Canara (I Am Invincible) finished a further 4.5 lengths away in third.
“Lovely to see the nice progression from her. It is important for her to come away at this point of her career; she is still very lightly raced and still new,” co-trainer Adrian Bott said.
“I think this trip away is really going to help her going forward.
“We’ve got bigger things in store, and you have not seen the best of her yet. She’s a very progressive filly, and I think today has been a real positive. We’ll see that improvement in the spring.
“She’s got phenomenal balance, everything is in proportion and everything is as it should be. You could look at her all day parading there.
“Great to see her run up to those looks and she’s got the pedigree to match.”
Bott, who trains the filly in partnership with Gai Waterhouse, said, while the filly does hold a nomination for the BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m) next weekend, she is more than likely to head for a break ahead of the spring.
“Vin [Cox, Yulong general manager] is here today [Saturday] and we’ll have a chat with Yulong and Coolmore with regard to what we do with her. Initial thoughts are looking towards the spring. We want to look after her and we do hold over a nomination for the Sires’ next week.
“Whether that is something we want to look at, it is in the back of our minds, but there are a lot of things to consider other than that.”
Clean Energy’s sister Sunlight was a high-class juvenile, landing the Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m), Silver Slipper (Gr 2, 1100m) and Magic Night Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m), while she also finished third in the Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m). However, she continued to improve with age, winning the Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) and Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) in her Classic year, leading to her being crowned Australia’s Champion Three-Year-Old.
Solar Charged’s 2022 colt by Zoustar was bought by China Horse Club, Newgate, Go Bloodstock and Trilogy for $850,000 at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale earlier this year and the mare was covered by the Widden Stud-based sire last September.