By Michael Guerin
There could hardly be a more appropriate horse to launch the Harness Jewels for 2019 than Sweet On Me.
The unbeaten juvenile filly will take the Jewels preparation to the next level when she rolls on to Addington today for her Magness Benrow Sires’ Stakes heat in the Jewels yellow colours, worn every year by the leader of each division.
Sweet On Me will be the first horse to wear them this season and it is fitting it will be at Addington, the new southern home of the great day.
But that isn’t the only reason it is appropriate Sweet On Me is the first wearer of the colours for this year’s Jewels.
Because her dam, champion mare Adore Me, wore them twice to victory at the Jewels themselves, at Ashburton in 2013 and Cambridge in 2014.
Both year’s Adore Me bolted home before going on to pace a then Australasian record 1:47.7 at Menangle.
Sweet On Me is her first foal, by Sweet Lou, and is already enormously advanced on dear old mum as Adore Me didn’t race until she was three.
“She is a very, very good filly,” says co-trainer Mark Purdon, trying not to get too carried away after just three starts.
But he and everybody else knows that Sweet On Me looks a standout not just for race six at today’s rare day Addington meeting but for the entire season.
So for all the quality of those she meets today, and the field does include some smart fillies, it will be a major shock if she is beaten.
With the Jewels less than two months away the first outing for the leader’s colours comes in the same week the TAB opened odds on all nine races.
And Australian interest in their invites has been enormous, with the connections of up to 20 horses already expressing their interest.
HRNZ’s Darrin Williams said the first Australian invite was not too far away but the organisation may wait until after the Easter break to see as much exposed form as possible.
Another possible Jewels contender on show today is Wainui Creek, who takes on older horses in race eight trying to bounce back from her last-start failure.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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