Unbeaten filly Sweet Ella has trainer Greg Eurell bullish about her prospects of making it to the Group One Thousand Guineas this spring.
Comparisons are already being made with stablemate Pinker Pinker who last year finished seventh in the Caulfield feature and signs are encouraging that Sweet Ella, a daughter of Niello, may be even more competitive.
Sweet Ella last week impressed with a narrow trial win at Cranbourne and resumes in Saturday’s Listed Adapt Australia Crockett Stakes (1200m) for fillies at Moonee Valley.
It is a big step up from her 2-1/2-length debut win in a Cranbourne maiden in April and 3-1/4-length victory at a Sandown midweek meeting in May but Eurell is genuinely excited about her.
“He thinks she is pretty handy,” Eurell’s racing manager Sarah Berry said.
“She is what you call a sleeper on the training track because she doesn’t show much in the mornings, but she is very much a serious competitor on race day.”
And she has the attitude to match.
While Pinker Pinker is more laid-back around the stable Sweet Ella, who stands barely 15.1 hands, is more headstrong.
“She is a little bit more busy than Pinker (Pinker) in that she has a fair bit of attitude,” Berry said.
“Pinker’s a bit more professional whereas Ella, this is a bit of a madam.”
Last autumn Pinker Pinker was a dual Group winner of the Armanasco Stakes and Schweppervescence Trophy and finished third to Absolutely in the AJC Australian Oaks.
Sweet Ella lacks size but has plenty of courage.
“She’s a short-coupled little horse, nuggetty, and the more you do with her the better she gets,” Berry said.
“At the races she is just amazing.
“She is all about business and gives every indication that she will make a miler.”
Sweet Ella has come up third favourite at $6 for the Crockett with TAB Sportsbet, behind the Peter Moody-trained Blue Diamond Stakes runner-up Hallowell Belle ($2.80) and Manhattan Maid ($5.50) who has won two of her three starts including the Listed Dequetteville Stakes in Adelaide last start.
Secret Status ($8), who was third in the Dequetteville, is also in the Crockett while other chances are the John Keys-trained dual Group Three winner Triple Asset ($10) and city winner Jessica Rose ($13).
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