Foxton mare Liffey winning an Open 1000m heat at Levin Jumpouts trials on Tuesday.
A hobby horse trainer working his way down a bucket list has set his sights on the next item.
Jim Sweetensen, a retired seaman, would dearly love for his horse Liffey to prove herself in town hall company before she is retired to stud.
Liffey had already helped him fulfil a lifelong ambition - to train a winning racehorse - when she won a maiden race at Ōtaki in 2021.
Now the 74-year-old has set his sights on the listed $80,000 Anzac Mile at Ōtaki next Thursday in a bid to gain success at premier level.
“She’s keeping me young,” he said.
“That’s where we will head next. That’s the target. She deserves a chance to prove herself at that level and I would love for her to attain black type.”
Liffey’s preparation for the Anzac Mile took an important step forward on Tuesday at the Levin jumpout trials on Tuesday, where she showed her fitness in winning an Open 1000m heat ahead of good gallopers Old Town Road, Belardo Boy So Call Me and Lord Spencer.
She went to the line under a strong hold from jockey Kate Hercock and she took her time pulling up, almost making it back around to the starting stalls.
After hosing the mare down, he was heartened by the way she had recovered.
“She seems very well. In the past she has been susceptible to viruses this time of year so - touch wood - we don’t have any issue this time ‘round,” he said.
As major horse races in New Zealand are progressively dominated by mega-stables, there still exist a few owner-trainer-breeders like Sweetensen with a horse or two in the back paddock.
He had given Liffey a couple of cracks at Group level, feeling she deserved a chance, but she was dealt wide barrier draws on every occasion and things had not quite gone her way.
“She’s a horse that needs a bit of luck and conditions to suit - the sting out of the ground without being too heavy - so hopefully she gets a track to suit on the day,” he said.
Before taking out his trainer’s licence four years ago, Sweetensen had been involved in the ownership of racehorses with friends, but in retirement was convinced by fellow racehorse trainer and breeder Mark Goodwin to apply for his licence.
He purchased Liffey’s dam Steelkap for $1500 through an online auction on the recommendation of another friend, Kevin O’Malley.
Steelkap was in foal to Niagra at the time and there was never any question who was going to train the resulting foal, and horse and trainer had been inseparable since. Liffey had now won $90,000 in stake-earnings, winning five of her 34 career starts. Four of those wins have been with female jockeys aboard - Danielle Hirini, Lisa Allpress, Charlotte O’Beirne and Hercock.
It was very much “Team Liffey” at the Foxton training track in the morning, with Sweetensen giving credit to her regular trackwork rider Samantha Weller and his partner Glenda Binns for their efforts in helping with day-to-day duties.
There were 172 horses contesting 26 heats throughout the day at Levin Jumpouts, including five heats involving a total of 30 2-year-olds earlier in the morning, as leading stables from the Central Districts took advantage of a good grass surface at the training facility.
Of the young horses to impress was a local filly called Elegant Elle trained by Allen Baker, who might have only won her 850m heat by a slim margin but was doing her work well at the line, while Khafeef showed he could be in for a good winter winning a 1600m jumpout by six lengths.
HEAT 1 2YO 600M: 1 Chester J Benner A Mudhoo, 2 Shesahappyone C Bambry C Lindsay, 3 Turn Me Loose/Damesel K Gray L Hemi. Nose, 21/2 lengths. Time: 36.14.
HEAT 2 2YO MDN 850M: 1 Elegant Elle A Baker A Mudhoo, 2 Rush N Home M Breslin C Carmine, 3 Belardo/Spendaholic G Vile M Singh. 1/2l, 1 3/4l . Time: 50.58.
HEAT 3 2YO MDN 850M: 1 Kapalua J Benner A Mudhoo, 2 Time Test/Paris Carver H Auret L Hemi, 3 Windspelle/The Great Pick Pocket g L Latta C Carmine. Short head, 2 1/2l. Time: 51.09
HEAT 4 2YO MDN 850M: 1 Pleasing M Breslin C Carmine, 2 Kids Got Gears L Latta L Hemi, 3 Contributor g K Myers L Sutherland. 1l, 3l. Time: 50.88.
HEAT 5 2YO MDN 850M: 1 Protein Bubbles F Auret M Singh, 2 Windspelle/Brambling g L Latta L Hemi, 3 Sand Point M Breslin C Carmine. Neck, Short Head. Time: 52.36.
HEAT 6 3YO MDN 850M: 1 Fawke Lightning L Latta C Dell, 2 Dark & Dusty S Nickalls K Hercock, 3 Take It S Brown Tayla Melvin. Head, head. Time: 52.42.
HEAT 7 3YO MDN 850M: 1 I Am Jazz J Bary A Mudhoo, 2 Nadeems Peach S Brown K Hercock, 3 Treat Yourself B Newman T Melvin. 4l, neck . Time: 52.41.
HEAT 8 MDN 850M: 1 Lala Rose J Shaw A Mudhoo, 2 Mr Merlin S Kay L Kauri, 3 Izymydaad K Duncan L Douglas. 1/2l, 2 1/2l . Time: 50.61.
HEAT 9 MDN 850M: 1 Full House F Auret M Singh , 2 Belardo/Bellamina m S Dougan L Hemi, 3 Keano J Rathbone K Hercock . Head, 1l . Time: 50.99.
HEAT 10 OPEN 850M: 1 Paddy Gift G Vile C Dell, 2 Just Wing It S Walsh T Taiaroa, 3 Opawa Jack C Bambry L Sutherland. Head, 1l. Time: 49.83.
HEAT 11 2YO MDN 1000M: 1 Belardo/Maneo Invictus C Bambry C Dell, 2 Consentino J Benner A Mudhoo, 3 Scandalize M Eales L Sutherland. 2 1/4l, nose. Time: 61.02.
HEAT 12 3YO MDN 1000M: 1 Ace High g P Didham C Dell , 2 Wal P Didham T Davies, 3 Saxon Lady M Breslin C Carmine. Head, head . Time: 61.95.
HEAT 13 3YO MDN 1000M: 1 Lemaitre P Didham T Davies, 2 Soul Catcher G Vile M Singh, 3 Derryn/Zippa the Ripper D Haworth C Carmine. Head, neck. Time: 61.64.
HEAT 14 MDN 1000M: 1 Loose Belt K Gray L Hemi, 2 Hand Me Down I Kelly J Mudhoo, 3 Lynx L Latta K Hercock. Neck, 1/2l. Time: 60.14.
HEAT 15 MDN 1000M: 1 Linara I Kelly J Mudhoo, 2 Fustian Bargain A Meadows T Davies, 3 Karoshi J Bary L Sutherland. 1l, 1 1/4l . Time: 60.26.
HEAT 16 OPEN 1000M: 1 Liffey J Sweetensen K Hercock, 2 Belardo Boy L Latta L Hemi, 3 So Call Me K Myers L Sutherland. 3l, 2l . Time: 61.04.
HEAT 17 OPEN 1000M: 1 Strides J Benner A Mudhoo, 2 Fay Khan It J Bary L Kauri, 3 Kana P Didham T Davies. 1l, 1l . Time: 61.99.
HEAT 18 OPEN 1000M: 1 Surprize Me L Pickford L Hemi, 2 Shes So Reliable J Bary L Kauri, 3 Man Express R Bergerson T Merlin. 1/2l, 1l. Time: 60.71.
HEAT 19A OPEN 1000M: 1 Up The Anti J Benner A Mudhoo, 2 Danjuro P Didham C Carmine, 3 Cholula J Lavelle/S Rennie L Sutherland. 5l, neck. Time: 60.66.
HEAT 19B MDN 1200M: 1 Yakattack J Benner A Mudhoo, 2 Unusual Suspect/Highland Rose F Auret M Singh, 3 Vadamos R Connors Joe. Short head, 3l. Time:1.14.67.
HEAT 20 MDN 1200M: 1 Alamalane P Didham T Davies, 2 Underline F Auret M Singh, 3 Broadway Girl 1200 J Shaw C Lindsay. 1l, head . Time: 1.13.41.
HEAT 21 OPEN 1200M: 1 Unscripted L Latta C Dell, 2 Perfect Test L Latta L Hemi, 3 Eddie’s Dream D Hewitt M Singh. 1 1/4l, 1/2l . Time: 1.14.89.
HEAT 22 MDN 1400M: 1 Kawatiri M Eales T Davies, 2 St Elmo’s Fire N Quinn L Kauri , 3 Preferment/Over The Rhone J Rathbone L Sutherland. 3l, neck . Time: 1.25.69.
HEAT 23 Mdn 1600: 1 Sound Track J Lavelle/S Rennie S Rennie, 2 Lepracorn N Quinn L Kauri, 3 Rios g K Myers Ayush Mudhoo. Neck, 1 1/2l. Time: 1.49.86.
HEAT 24 OPEN 1600M: 1 Khafeef K Myers J Mudhoo, 2 Afterallthistime K Myers T Melvin, 3 Escalade K Myers T Taiaroa. 6l, 1l. Time: 1.48.18.
HEAT 25 2000M: 1 Harry Harrison G Temperton C Lindsay, 2 Duck Road J Lavelle/S Rennie L Sutherland, 3 Manuka D O’Leary Sam. Head, 8l. Time: 2.11.
