Written by Paul Symes for ANZ Bloodstock News
Connections hoping their prized mare can pounce on some valuable black type.
Having flown out of the blocks with five successive wins, Cleo Cat (American Pharoah) will have her sights raised to stakes races in the new year when the mare aims to extend her picket fence run of form.
Cleo Cat, whose next test is likely to come in the Black Pearl Stakes (Listed, 1200m) at Geelong on January 4, has already earned almost three times her purchase price having been bought by her trainer Tom Dabernig for $50,000.
Given that her dam, Angel Face (Fastnet Rock), was an eight-start maiden and American Pharoah (Pioneerof The Nile) is renowned chiefly in Australia for siring the last two winners of the VRC Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) in Goldrush Guru (2024) and Riff Rocket (2023), Cleo Cat’s propensity for pure speed is perhaps somewhat surprising.
But fast she undoubtedly is, having blitzed her way through the grades culminating in her first Saturday metropolitan success on Ballarat Cup Day.
The Black Pearl Stakes represents another sharp rise in class but given how comfortably the four-year-old has handled her steep career progression so far, Dabernig is keen to test her credentials at Listed level.
“She just keeps stepping up every time she goes to the races,” said the trainer, who also paid $40,000 for Cleo Cat’s half-brother by Yes Yes Yes (Rubick) at this year’s Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.
“Last Saturday at Ballarat, she looked to be under real pressure but she was able to find an extra gear, which is what the good racehorses can do. She keeps rising in class so it’s only going to get tougher for her and eventually we will reach her ceiling, but so far she hasn’t put a foot wrong.
“She looked very stylish the way she let down on debut, and since then she’s been able to show good versatility because she’s led all the way for two of her wins, and come from behind for the other three. She’s got a great turn of foot and I have to give all the credit to her, because stringing together five wins in a row is not an easy thing to do.
“We’ve always thought she was a nice filly but I must admit I didn’t expect her to reach city class as quickly as she has. We always had it in our minds to kick off her second prep at the back end of the Spring Carnival, and she’s answered the challenge so we’ll now take her to some suitable stakes races in the new year.
“We’ll look at the Listed Black Pearl next, although a month between runs isn’t always the best formula, so we might take her away for a jump–out or a fast gallop in between to maintain her fitness levels. It’s probably unrealistic to think she can keep her winning streak going for too much longer, but even a black type placing would be lovely for her pedigree page.”
The mare was bred and is part-owned by Samantha Jenkins and her late mother Joy, who both raced Angel Face before retiring her to the breeding barn, where she had enjoyed limited success until Cleo Cat came along.
Her first four foals to reach the racetrack had only shown moderate ability, but Samantha and Joy decided to have one last throw of the dice and after completing their research, chose US Triple Crown winner American Pharoah as a suitable match. They subsequently came to a foal-share arrangement with Coolmore Australia’s nominations and sales manager, Colm Santry.
Angel Face’s fifth foal was sent to the 2022 Inglis HTBA May Yearling Sale, and having long regretted their decision to sell Catchy (Fastnet Rock) – the 2017 Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winning filly they bred from their well-performed mare Cats Whisker (Fusaichi Pegasus) – the pair were determined to retain a 20 per cent share this time.
As the majority owners, they had naming rights and so called her Cleo Cat as a nod to Queen Cleopatra, Egypt’s last pharaoh, and to Cats Whisker.
After five on the bounce, the owners have certainly been feeling like the cat that got the cream, although the celebrations for Samantha have been tinged with a fair degree of sadness following her mother’s death two months ago.
But she is convinced Cleo Cat is now racing with an angel on her shoulders, and struggled to contain her emotions when their prized asset passed the post at Ballarat last Saturday.
“I couldn’t stop crying,” she told ANZ Bloodstock News. “It’s been so exciting to watch Cleo Cat win all these races, but also very sad after we lost my dear mum recently. It’s been a horrible time because we were so close and I loved her dearly, but Cleo Cat has brought me some joy amongst the sadness.
“Saturday was just an amazing day because we are also in the ownership of Cleo Cat’s close relation Lulumon, a mare Mum and I bred in partnership with Colm, and she won at Rosehill. This all came a month after another horse I have a share in, Tycoon Star, won the Maribyrnong Plate on debut on Melbourne Cup Day.
“Mum and I were only hobby breeders and like anyone in this game, we’ve had our fair share of ups and downs. It’s such a fickle game and you need a bit of luck, and our luck has definitely turned around recently. After racing a fair few slow horses in the past, we’ve finally got some fast ones now and people have been telling me that Mum must be helping to push them over the line from up above.
“She fell sick at the end of last year, and I’ve had some health issues myself so we couldn’t get to the races when Cleo Cat made her debut in February. We watched her win and then when she won again, we thought we might finally have a decent one on our hands. Then she went for a long spell and sadly Mum passed away before she came back for her second prep.
“It gives her wins extra poignancy for me and I’m sure Mum will be looking down with great pride. I loved the call when she won on Saturday, Adam Ozlanski called her a ‘winning machine’ and that’s exactly what she is. Who knows how much longer she can keep the winning streak going, but it’s certainly exciting and it’s definitely bringing me some comfort.”
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