Sweet Dolly … sweet by name, sweet by the pleasure she gave, sweet by financial return.
While the big names runners like Away Game and Tofane, with their big-name players, were hogging the headlines at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale … with those horses changing hands for $4 million and $1.3 million respectively … the $320 000 purchase price paid for Sweet Dolly might seem to pale by comparison but, really, her racing story is as riveting as any.
It is always good to score one for the underdog.
Purchased for a mere $1500 as a weanling and placed in the care of the low-key Rockhampton based trainer Kevin Hansen for her racing career, Sweet Dolly might only have raced five times but she gave her connections immeasurable pleasure during that time … from winning her Maiden in Townsville by 5.80 lengths, to going straight to Eagle Farm and winning the Listed Calaway Gal Stakes in only her second career start, to winning a warm-up run for the rich $500 000 The Jewel, a race which she then duly won to keep her then unbeaten record (four from four) intact.
It was, quite simply, a ride-and-a-half … while it lasted.
Sadly, a suspensory ligament injury which was found shortly after her success in The Jewel, meant that Sweet Dolly required surgery.
After nearly a year away from racing Sweet Dolly returned but was beaten in her first-up run … which would turn out to be her last as, after a couple of more trials, the decision was taken to retire the well-performed daughter of Real Saga.
True horse lovers don’t measure their return in dollars but, for the record, this $1500 purchase won $481,950 in prize-money and, earlier this week, was sold for that $320,000.
So, whether it be on the pleasure front or the hard core business side of things … Sweet Dolly was a superstar for her connections and all associated with her career can take a bow.
