Sweet Emma


Sweet Emma was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. As a two-year-old in 1982 she won two minor races in spring and then recorded her most important success with a victory in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes. She went on to finish fourth in the Moyglare Stud Stakes and ended the year as the best Irish-trained juvenile filly of her generation. After being transferred to race in England she failed to win at three but did finish third in the Leisure Stakes and fourth in the Coronation Stakes. After her retirement from racing she ha some success as a broodmare in Europe and Japan.

Background

Sweet Emma was a "lengthy, attractive" bay mare with no white markings bred in Ireland by the Hesmonds Stud. As a yearling she was sold for 8,200 guineas and was sent into training with Michael Connolly.
She was sired by Welsh Saint, a sprinter who recorded his biggest win in the 1970 edition of the Cork and Orrery Stakes. Her dam Gang Plank showed little aptitude for racing, failing to win in four starts. She was descended from the British broodmare Excelsa who was the dam of Exar and the grand-dam of Wollow.

Racing career

1982: two-year-old season

Sweet Emma began her racing career in March 1982 when she won a maiden race over five furlongs at Naas Racecourse. She followed up shortly afterwards in a minor race over the same distance on soft ground at the Curragh. After her two wins in spring the filly was sold privately to Jackie Ward Ramos and was transferred to the stable of Kevin Prendergast. Four months after her last race Sweet Emma was stepped up to Group 1 class for the Phoenix Stakes on firm ground at Leopardstown Racecourse on 7 August, in which she was ridden by Gabriel Curran. The John Oxx-trained colt Najran started favourite ahead of Treasure Trove and the unbeaten filly Flame of Tara. Despite looking impressive before the race Sweet Emma went off at odds of 12/1 after drifting out from 4/1 on the day of the race after receiving an unfavourable draw. Curran tracked the leaders before going to the front approaching the final furlong and Sweet Emma accelerated away to win by three lengths from Najran.
On 11 September Sweet Emma was moved up to six furlongs for the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh. She was among the leaders for most of the way but faded in the final furlong and finished fourth behind the British-trained Habibti. At the end of the month she was sent to England to contest the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse. She tarted the 8/1 third favourite but ran poorly and finished eighth of the nine runners behind Ma Biche.
In December Sweet Emma was put up for auction at Newmarket and was sold for 220,000 guineas. She then moved to the stable of Peter Walwyn at Seven Barrows near Lambourn in Berkshire.
In the Irish Free Handicap for 1982, Sweet Emma was rated the best two-year-old filly trained in Ireland, although she was seven pounds behind Habibti. The independent Timeform organisation gave her a rating of 108, making her fifteen pounds inferior to their top two-year-ol filly Ma Biche. In their annual Racehorses of 1982 Timeform described her as "a very useful sprinter" but having obvious stamina limitations.

1983: three-year-old season

Sweet Emma made her first appearance for her new trainer in the Leisure Stakes over six furlongs at Lingfield Park in early June and produced a creditable effort to finish a close third behind Solimile and Kirchner. She was then stepped up in class and distance for the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot later that month and came home fourth of the six runners behind Flame of Tara. On her only subsequent appearance she contested a handicap race over seven furlongs at Newmarket in July and finished fourth after sweating up badly before the start.

Breeding record

Sweet Emma was retired from racing to become a broodmare. She was based in Ireland before being exported to Japan in 1988. She produced eleven foals and six winners between 1985 and 1998.