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How sweet it is

2 March 2021

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By Tony McMahon

The colloquialism “all is sweet” sums up the sentiments of Rockhampton trainer Kevin Hansen’s assessment of the city’s latest glamour racehorse Sweet Dolly.

In horse racing ownership, so often spawned from fantasy of idyllic dreams of success that sadly rarely come true, the Sweet Dolly rags to riches story is akin to a fairy-tale.

After Saturday’s stunning win in the $125,000 Jewel 2YO Plate Prelude at the Sunshine Coast, the reality is that trainer Kevin Hansen and owner Michelle Walker no longer have to dream.

The near five-length win launched by jockey Justin Stanley from satellite speed from the outside barrier looked so emphatic that it bordered on being too good to be true.

The winning time of 57.95 seconds recorded on a soft track was more than a half-second faster than Gemelon Bolt ran in winning the Colts and Geldings Prelude.

Add to the mix that Stanley eased his riding on Sweet Dolly to all but cruise control over the last 75 metres of the race and the plot thickens.

Just how good is Sweet Dolly, now unbeaten in three starts returning $177,750 in prize money after being acquired as a Magic Millions weanling for just $1500?

Justin Stanley has no doubts Sweet Dolly is very good.

His verbal account of Saturday’s win from his position in the saddle is worth putting to words.

“She is so very exciting and a real professional, she just keeps finding in a race every time you ask her to give you something,” Stanley said.

“She surprised me with her barrier speed, I gave her one squeeze when she jumped and next thing she is two lengths in front and cruising over to the rail.

“She led and when I asked her for a little more at the top of the straight, she extended - every time I asked her for more it was there.

“We went to the finish unextended and there was definitely more left in the tank.

I didn’t push her and after the race she had a nice blow so there is definitely more improvement in her.”

Hansen is delighted with how well Sweet Dolly travelled home and settled back into his North Rockhampton stables on Sunday, and has the $500,000 2YO Jewel (1200m) at the Gold Coast on Saturday week as the next mission.

“I was confident but I didn’t think she would win like that, she is as bright as a button today and is a great traveller that doesn’t move or sweat-up on the float,” Hansen said.

To date, Sweet Dolly’s three wins have been over 1000 metres with the cumulative winning margins being 10.63 lengths - with a 12.75 lengths 900-metre trial win not taken into account.

Justin Stanley firmly believes the 1200 metres of the Jewel at the Gold Coast will suit her down to the ground.

“She is such a little professional and settles so well, I have no concerns about the 1200 metres and I think it will be ideal”, he said.

The 69-year-old trainer has waited the proverbial eternity for a star like Sweet Dolly to align with him and has done a marvellous job performing with her.

“I’ll just poke around with her this week and probably give her a little hit out with a grass gallop at Callaghan Park next Monday morning,” he said.

It’s a racing certainty that Brisbane’s Justin Stanley will have already booked his airline ticket to partner Sweet Dolly on Monday.

For Michelle Walker - a gifted horsewoman herself - and the very popular Hansen and Stanley, the bonny badly faced Real Saga filly is proof that dreams do come true – even in racing.