Sweet Coco aces her rivals in WA

The daughter of Sweet Lou has won three of her last five starts including back-to-back successes at Gloucester Park under the tutelage of Gary Hall Junior and has worked her back to a NR84 mark.

Sweet Coco, a five-year-old New Zealand-bred mare named after champion American tennis player Coco Gauff, is proving more than a match for her opposition in Western Australia.
The daughter of Sweet Lou has won three of her last five starts including back-to-back successes at Gloucester Park under the tutelage of Gary Hall Junior and has worked her back to a NR84 mark.
Her emphatic end-to-end success in the $30,000 Mares’ Feature over 2130 metres from behind the mobile at Gloucester Park last Friday helped raise her lifetime stake earnings over the $100,000 plateau.

The Sweet Coco story actually began at the Christchurch Yearling Sales in 2013 when the Ashvegas 50 Syndicate, a group organised by Ashburton horseman Ben Waldron, bought a Christian Cullen filly named Nicky Anew.
The syndicate, which enjoyed success with several useful performers including the trotter Franco Nadal, numbered among its members Ashburton business development manager Jeff Hurst and his father Tony, a long-time breeder and owner.

“When the syndicate was disbanded we bought Nicky Anew off them,” Jeff said. “One of the remaining syndicate members wanted to continue racing her whereas I wanted her for breeding, so we did a deal and raced her for a wee while.
“She had some potential but didn’t put it out on the track on raceday.”

Nicky Anew’s first issue is none other than Sweet Coco.
Starting her racing career as a three-year-old with the late Katie Cox, the filly finished a nose second to Sky Rocket at her debut at Rangiora in April 2023.
She was soon after bought by Canterbury reinsman Carter Dalgety as agent for NSW owner Mick Boots and won her first four starts for her new connections, three of which were at Addington.

Sent to NSW at the outset of her four-year-old campaign, Sweet Coco won twice at Menangle in 1:53.7 and 1:53.8 for Jason Grimson before her form tapered off and she was subsequently shipped to Perth where she has gone from strength to strength.

“Sweet Coco is the best performer we have ever bred followed by the trotter Break Out who won five,” Jeff said.

The second foal of Nicky Anew, Anew Dream, a filly by Betting Line, was trained by the late Wayne ‘Ox’ McEwan.
“After Wayne died she was given away as part of the dispersal of his horses. She’s now a show horse,” Jeff said. “It’s disappointing that she never got a chance on the track.”

Next to the cover of Vincent, Nicky Anew produced the three-year-old filly Invincible.
“She’s being trained by Chris Morrison, who trained Nicky Anew,” Jeff said. “She’s a big filly who just needs time to fill out her huge frame.”

Aryna’s Tiger, a Tiger Tara yearling filly, is Nicky Anew’s fourth foal.
“She’s been broken in and had a couple of preps with Robert Anderson,” Hurst stated.
“She’s got a Bettor’s Delight weanling colt, who’s a lovely wee fella, and we are going back to Sweet Lou this season with her.”

Nicky Anew, a half-sister to five sub-2:00 winners, belongs to the same branch of the prized Regina family as top pacers the calibre of the NZ Cup winner Garry Dillon, the NZ 2YO and 3YO of the Year Honkin Vision, Nicky’s Falcon (Redcliffe Cup), He’s Okey Dokey ($201,102), Master Yossi (Rangiora Cup) and Paduka (1:49.6).
Sweet Coco promises to do this fine family further credit.

Hoofnote: Jeff Hurst’s parents Tony and Mandy Hurst were part of the syndicate that raced Jimmy James Maguire, who won six races in NZ including the Listed $50,000 NZ Yearling Sales Series Aged Classic and the Hororata Cup and $114,864 in stakes. The gelding won again at Wagga (NSW) recently.

Sweet Coco, pictured with Jeff Hurst's son, George