Big-money offer knocked back for Sweet Dolly

By Tony McMahon

Connections of boom Rockhampton juvenile filly Sweet Dolly, bought for just $1500 as a weanling, have this week knocked back an offer of $400,000 from an Australian buyer.

Capricorn Coast-based owner Michelle Walker confirmed the genuine offer had been made from a Victorian identity while stating she did not really want to sell Sweet Dolly.

“My husband Ken hasn’t been well for some time with two health issues and Dolly has really given him a new lease of life - he would kill me if I sold her,” Walker said.

The Kevin Hansen-trained Real Saga filly Sweet Dolly burst onto the national racing scene with a sensational win in last Saturday’s $125,000 Listed Calaway Gal for 2YO Fillies (1000m) at Eagle Farm.

Despite racing erratically and spearing outwards when launching her challenge over the final 150 metres, Sweet Dolly rebalanced and drew clear to defeat Caulfield winner Fake Love.

Winning jockey Justin Stanley - who also partnered Sweet Dolly at her previous start when on debut she won at Townsville - believes only for her waywardness she could have won the Brisbane race by five lengths.  

Her perfect score of two wins has set Sweet Dolly’s prizemoney haul at $105,250.

It was revealed yesterday that trainer Hansen and owner Michelle Walker gave serious thought to embarking on a $3.5 million Golden Slipper campaign for Sweet Dolly based on Stanley’s huge opinion of her.

“Justin told us that she is so good that she would have to be considered a Golden Slipper filly,” Hansen said.

“We looked long and hard at the race (run March 20, 2021) but at the end we felt she may be too immature because she was a late foal.

“Don’t worry, Michelle and I had a serious talk about the Golden Slipper but in the end, we had to consider what was best for the filly.’’

He said the other negative factor was that Sweet Dolly had not been entered for the Golden Slipper and would have to earn qualification in a designated major lead-up race in Sydney.

“With her immaturity, we reached the conclusion that it may just be too hard on her,” Hansen said.

Sweet Dolly was foaled on October 16, 2018 with the foaling season commencing annually from August 1.

The most famous “very late foal” that went on to become a champion and a quality two-year-old of his season was Lonrho, who was foaled on December 10, 1998.

Lonrho was placed at his first start as a 2YO in November 2000 before winning in Sydney come January 2001 and then scoring in the Blue Diamond Stakes Prelude at Caulfield in February 2001.

Michelle Walker and Kevin Hansen’s consideration of a Golden Slipper campaign for Sweet Dolly is certainly not “pie in the sky” thinking.

In 2012, the Stuart Kendrick Sunshine Coast-trained filly Doubtfilly faced a similar predicament before qualifying and finishing fourth to Pierro.

Doubtfilly also won her same race on debut at Townsville as Sweet Dolly.

However, unlike Sweet Dolly who won the Calaway Gal at her next start, Doubtfilly ridden by Adrian Coome could only finish seventh.

That should end any suggestions that Sweet Dolly’s credentials are not up to Golden Slipper Stakes standard.

Persistence and sheer good luck were the influencing factors that brought about Michelle Walker’s purchase of Sweet Dolly at the 2019 Gold Coast Magic Millions Weanling Sale.

“Years ago, Ken and I had raced a good Real Saga in Outback Saga (eight wins) and after I had bought quite a few young horses since then with no luck, he said you should get another Real Saga - that’s how Dolly came about,” Walker said.

Sweet Dolly is now spelling in her usual paddock at the Walker’s Bondoola property before re-entering training next year and being set for the Brisbane feature juvenile races of the Winter Carnival.

A close relative to Sweet Dolly - sired by Heroic Valour - will be sold at the 2021 Magic Millions March Yearling Sale while mum Sweet Cherub is kept young attending to a filly foal by that sire at Raheen.