Prominent owner Chris Rutten knows a thing or two about the Karaka Millions meeting at Ellerslie, and he might be heading in that direction again after a debut victory by Too Sweet in Sunday’s Graham’s Painters 2YO (900m) at Trentham.
Rutten won the Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) with Vespa in 2014 and has since collected minor placings with Kingsman (2016), Yourdeel (2019) and Avonallo (2021). He also had success with Scott Base in the Karaka Million 3YO (1600m) in 2018.
Rutten paid $50,000 to buy Too Sweet from the Phoenix Park draft at Karaka earlier this year. She is by exciting Rich Hill Stud stallion Satono Aladdin, while her dam Sparkling Rose comes from the family of quality racehorses and sires Darci Brahma and Burgundy.
Too Sweet headed into her raceday debut with two trials under her belt, finishing second at Foxton on September 18 before winning at the same venue two weeks later.
The Roydon Bergerson-trained filly was sent out as an $8 fourth favourite in Sunday's five-horse field, but she upstaged her more-fancied opponents with a classy and determined performance.
Too Sweet and jockey Lily Sutherland sat back in fourth as Landlord, Grocer's Deelight and Almakeitgood pushed forward through the early stages of the race.
That trio still showed the way coming into the home straight, but then Too Sweet quickened through an opening one from the outside and soon joined in. She found plenty in the testing Heavy10 conditions, reaching her neck out and edging ahead of Almakeitgood to score by a head.
Too Sweet earned $23,000 from Sunday's win, which has historically been more than enough to secure a place in the Karaka Millions starting gates at Ellerslie on January 25.
"She's a beautiful filly," Bergerson said. "I was surprised that she raced quite greenly today, but she still quickened well in the straight and stuck her neck out and won nicely.
"The Karaka Millions is the big goal. That's the reason Chris bought her, and there's not many better judges when it comes to that race, outside of maybe David Ellis.
"She's qualified now, so it takes the pressure off and we can just pick and choose our path from this point on. We'll give her a look around Ellerslie at some stage between now and then."
