Close friendship leads to ‘Sweet’ Melton winner
By Peter Wharton
A friendship forged many years ago between Rangiora couple Adele and Lindsay Dawkins and the late John Crosbie paved the way for the breeding of the Sweet Lou gelding Hezasweetie, an impressive winner at his Australian debut at the Hunter Cup meeting at Melton.
Hezasweetie winning at Melton Park in February
(c) photography: Stuart McCormick
“John bought a horse off us that we bred and he and his wife became very good friends,” Adele said. “John owned a mare named Whitershadeofpale in Australia and after she finished racing he brought her home and gave her to me.
“Unfortunately John died not along after giving her to me.”
A daughter of Changeover, Whitershadeofpale won nine races including eight in Australia and $63,843 in stakes and took a mile record of 1:53.9 at Menangle. She ranked as a sister to Darkershadeofpale, who has won 35 races and $305,118 and is still racing successfully in Canada.
Hezasweetie, a four-year-old gelding, is Whitershadeofpale’s third foal and second winner.
The gelding was knocked down to Otago owner Graeme Anderson for $16,000 at the NZB National Yearling Sale at Christchurch in 2022.
He won three races with three placings from 12 starts as a three-year-old before being shipped to Victoria.
“We sold the next foal Huxton (by Lather Up) to John about six months before he died. He was gelded and is due to come back into work with Robbie Holmes,” Adele said.
Hezasweetie with his dam, Whiteshadeofpale
Whitershadeofpale’s fifth issue, Achilles, an Always B Miki colt, was offered at the National Yearling Sale at Christchurch on February 18 and sold for $22,000
She’s since produced a filly foal by Lazarus.
“I’ve got three filly foals at foot this year and we’re giving all the mares a year off,” Adele said.
The other two broodmares owned by the couple are Sweet Perrier, a Elsu mare from the family of Krug, Lancome and Jack’s A Legend, and Mee Too, a well bred Sportswriter mare from the Christian Cullen mare Veecmee.
“Sweet Perrier has a Sweet Lou filly and Mee Too a Downbytheseaside filly,” Adele stated.
Adele, who lives on a 20 acre property in north Canterbury, has been breeding standardbreds for 28 years, mainly to sell at the Premier Yearling Sales.
“The best one I’ve ever bred is Marquess De Posh. She won 11 races as a three-year-old including the NSW Oaks and was awarded the Australian 3YO Filly of the Year,” Adele said.
“That was early in my breeding career and really got me hooked. Her half-brother Posh Fella is racing in NSW.”
The Elsu mare Ella Sue was another smart performer bred and raised by the Dawkins. She won 14 races and $137,000 in Western Australia for Mark Congerton and Gary Hall Snr.
“When she finished racing Mark rang me and asked me if I wanted her back for breeding and I brought her back to NZ,” she said.
Ella Sue ranks as the dam of the $120,000 winner Adieu Flirt and Delta Three, a winner in Australia and America.
“We have a lovely Lazarus colt out of her going to this year’s sale,” Adele said.
Two of Ella Sue’s siblings in All Courage and The Artison as well as her close relatives Barn Burster and Maximum Holmes have all been successful in Australia after being bred, raised and sold by the Dawkins.