Clean breaks through for historic win

$2.6m filly snares Stakes win in Queensland.

Clean Energy winning the Bill Carter Stakes.
Clean Energy winning the Bill Carter Stakes. Picture: Michael McInally/Racing Queensland

Clean Energy broke new ground with her win in the Bill Carter Stakes at Doomben on Saturday.

The sister to Sunlight became the most expensive yearling to win a Black Type event in Australia when she took her career record to two wins from as many starts in the $160,000 Listed event.

By Zoustar out of Solar Charged, Clean Energy was a $2.6 million buy for Yulong at last year's Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

That made her Australia's equal highest-priced yearling filly, at the time, alongside Black Caviar's Redoute's Choice half-sister Belle Couture, who won one of four starts but never raced in Stakes grade.

That $2.6m record was bettered twice earlier this year at Inglis Easter, first by Winx's $10m filly and then by the I Am Invincible-Booker filly who sold for $3m.

Australia's most expensive yearling before the Winx filly, Belle Couture's $5m brother, did not race, while the $4m Fastnet Rock-River Dove youngster who raced as Emaratee died after two second placings.

Clean Energy's brother Kandinsky Abstract is the best of three $3m yearlings to have raced, winning twice at metro grade but is unplaced from four starts at Black Type level.

Mount Fuji, the $2.8m son of Snitzel, has won three of 27 and is now with Gillian Heinrich in Queensland, $2.7m buy L'Heritier retired a maiden after six starts, while last year's $2.7m Magic Millions sale-topper Superluminal is yet to race.

Adrian Bott, who trains Clean Energy in partnership with Gai Waterhouse, was thrilled to get an early Stakes win with the filly, who the stable have high hopes for as a three-year-old.

"We've got bigger things in store and by no means have you seen the best of her yet," Bott said.

"She's a very progressive filly and I think today has been a real positive and we'll see that improvement in the spring.

"She's got phenomenal balance, everything is in proportion and everything is as it should be. You could look at her all day parading there.

"Great to see her run up to those looks and she's got the pedigree to match."

Options for Clean Energy in spring could include the $2 million Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m), a race Sunlight won in 2018.


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