Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)
Central Districts filly Too Sweet (Satono Aladdin) lived up to punters expectations when she downed a handy field in the Gr.2 SKYCITY Eclipse Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie on New Year's Day.
Brought north by 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 stallion Satono Aladdin closed as the $3 Fixed Odds favourite for the first stakes race of the New Year after some inspired late support.
Rider Michael McNab took the initiative when the filly made a lightning beginning from her outside (9) barrier and dictated proceedings from another well backed runner in Sweet Ice.
Having her first start going in the clockwise direction, Too Sweet handled the tricky Ellerslie circuit with ease as she cornered beautifully and then kicked away from her rivals at the 300m. La Dorada, Toretto and Almakeitgood all closed gamely but Too Sweet proved too strong as she hit the finish line 1-1/2 lengths to the good of her rivals.
Bergerson was thrilled with the way his charge handled the Ellerslie track ahead of the $1 million TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) at the Auckland venue on 25 January, and he is excited for the syndicate who race her, which includes his son Sam (co-trainer of runner-up La Dorada) and her Karaka Yearling Sale purchaser Chris Rutten.
“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, who won the same event in 2022 before finishing runner-up to Dynastic in the Karaka Million 2YO three weeks later.
“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.”
TAB Bookmakers shortened her price dramatically for the Karaka Million 2YO immediately after the victory, and she now sits as the $4 Fixed Odds favourite ahead of La Dorada ($5.50) and Almakeitgood ($7).
Rutten paid $50,000 to purchase Too Sweet from Phoenix Park’s draft at Karaka last year, and he is no stranger to Karaka Millions success, having won the race with Vespa in 2014 and has collected minor placings with Touche (2013), Kingsman (2016), Yourdeel (2019), Avonallo (2021), and Wolverine (2022). He also had success with Scott Base in the Karaka Million 3YO (1600m) in 2018
