Swettenham connection in Red Roses

Rugby League greats Ricky Stuart and Laurie Daley are the latest owners to benefit from Swettenham Stud’s global connections.

Stuart and Daley are part owners of quality Brisbane filly Emmalene who descends from one of Swettenham’s most successful northern hemisphere families.

Emmalene (3f Jet Spur – Emmabee by Bubble Gum Fellow) showed a splendid turn of foot to win the Listed VRC Red Roses Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on Thursday.  “She is definitely doing the job,” trainer Liam Birchley said.  “It’s really only her first prep.  She’s a late developer and we will bring her back for the Brisbane winter carnival.”

Emmalene is from a daughter of Adagietto (Sackford) who was a Flemington and Caulfield stakes winner when trained by John Hawkes.  

Back in 1996, Robert Sangster sent Adagietto’s dam Adagio to Australia after a career that garnered four wins in England and North America.

Adagio was by Swettenham’s G1 Dewhurst Stakes winner Monteverdi and was a half-sister to The Minstrel stakes performers The Noble Player and Performing Arts .

The Minstrel (Northern Dancer) scored a famous victory in the 1977 English Derby for Sangster and the incomparable combination of Vincent O’Brien and Lestor Piggott.

The Minstrel’s classic was the catalyst for Swettenham to capture three of the next four Arc de Triomphes with Alleged (1977-78) and Detroit (1980).

Sangster also won the 1980 Melbourne Cup with the Colin Hayes trained stayer Beldale Ball and a second English Derby winner followed in 1982 with Golden Fleece.

Swettenham continued its domination with all-conquering Northern Dancer stallion Sadler’s Wells as well as USA breed-shaper Storm Bird who sired Storm Cat.

The Northern Dancer influence is also evident in the top half of Emmalene’s pedigree.

She is by emerging Glenlogan Park stallion Jet Spur who represents the prepotent Danzig – Danehill – Flying Spur branch of the Northern Dancer sireline.