John Thompson's gallant five-year-old mare Sweet Deal earned a well-deserved maiden stakes win in Friday's $160,000 Group III Tibbie Stakes (1400m) at Newcastle.
Returning to
the track where she broke her maiden two years ago, Sweet Deal, under the in
form Nash Rawiller, had first run on the Fastnet Rock pair Notation and Connemara
to win by a half-length.
Sweet Deal showed a lot of promise at two. She was third on debut in the Group III Widen Stakes before defeating all bar Frolic in the valuable Inglis Classic.
"She's going super, she's been a mare in great form for a while," Thompson said.
"She has a fantastic rapport with Nash. I think he rides her with confidence and that gives her confidence. The ability has always been there, she has been a bit tricky in the past, but she has got better as she's got older like all the Casino Prince's do.
"She really deserved that stakes win."
Purchased by Boomer Bloodstock (FBAA) for $67,500 out of the Lincoln Farm draft at the 2016 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, Sweet Deal advances her record to 7 wins, 6 seconds and 2 thirds from 28 starts with earnings of $537,370.
She is the best of two winners from as many to race out of the Sydney winning Royal Academy mare Dorothy Evelyn, who hails from the family of Group 1 West Australian Derby winner Chipolata.
Dorothy Evelyn was pensioned last year after producing a full-brother to Sweet Deal.
Sweet Deal becomes the 19th stakes-winner for Vinery Stud's Casino Prince who is currently covering his 12th book of mares at a fee of $6,600.