A decision to thwart plans to send Sweet Deal (Casino Prince) to the breeding barn last year proved fruitful after the 6-year-old mare took out the lucrative The Hunter at Newcastle on Saturday.
Nash Rawiller and John Thompson combined to take out the second running of the $1 million The Hunter at Newcastle on Saturday as 6-year-old mare Sweet Deal ran away with the race.
Sweet Deal settled on the rail in the third group off the lead and Rawiller kept to the rail around the bend, biding his time until a gap opened.
The gap did open in the final 200 metres and the mare scooted past leader Special Reward (Demerit) to go on and win by 1.5l, with Asiago (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}) another 1l away in third.
“She has been in great form, just hasn’t had a lot of luck, full credit to the owners, they were adamant to ride her with a sit today,” Rawiller said.
“To be honest, it’s probably one of the first times we’ve found a race where we have been able to ride her like that, let her stalk and we know how brilliant she is when she can do that.
“It was great to see her bounce back like that, she is already a Group 3 winner here and to come out and win a million-dollar race is exciting, especially to do it on her.”
Connections changed tactics on Sweet Deal for The Hunter, with the usual frontrunner taking a sit behind the leaders and using an electric turn of foot and incredible will to win to get over the line in the $1 million feature.
“She is a horse I’ve always had a lot of confidence in, I’ve done some crazy things on her because she can get you out of trouble. She is a little bulldog,” said Rawiller.
“Special Reward kicked well and it was a perfect scenario where she had a bunny to chase.
“She was my first Saturday city winner back from Hong Kong and she has kept raising the bar as she has gone along.”
Breeding barn
Sweet Deal was bound for the breeding barn 12 months ago and Thompson said he was delighted to secure the win after her owners decided to keep her in work for another year.
“Thank god she’s here as the owners were talking about retiring her last year, so I’m glad we went another 12 months,” the trainer said.
“She runs well for Nash, that’s the way to ride her, she relaxes with cover and attacks the line. She is a lovely mare and will be back for one last hoorah in the autumn.”
Now the winner of over $1.3 million in prizemoney, Sweet Deal was purchased by Boomer Bloodstock for $67,500 at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale and is one of two foals to race out of Dorothy Evelyn (Royal Academy {USA}).
Sweet Deal’s second dam Food Of Love (Lunchtime {GB}) is a half-sister to multiple stakes-winner Dance Beat (Esperanto) and Amberlene (Alannon), who produced Group 3 scorer Throne Inn (King Of Kings).
Food Of Love is also a three-quarter sister to Chipolata (Lunchtime {GB}), who won the G1 Western Australia Derby in 1990.
Dorothy Evelyn has only had one foal since producing Sweet Deal and that is a 2-year-old brother to the multiple stakes-winning mare.
Sweet Deal is one of 19 stakes winners for Vinery Stud stalwart Casino Prince, who stands for a fee of $5500 (inc GST) in 2020.
