Exciting Contributer filly Concord Connie continued her rise through the ranks with another emphatic victory in the A$150,000 K.A. Morrison Handicap (1400m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Trained by Charlotte Littlefield, the three-year-old has now put together three consecutive wins this autumn.
Littlefield put Concord Connie aside after a second placing on debut at Ballarat in November, then brought her back to score a smart victory over 1200m at Pakenham on April 9.
Concord Connie caught everyone’s attention when she stepped up over 1400m at Flemington on April 25 and came from last in the 12-horse field to win by six lengths in breathtaking style.
That scintillating performance saw Concord Connie step out as the hottest favourite of the day at Flemington on Saturday at $1.30. And although she didn’t come from as far back this time and didn’t win by as big a margin, once again there was no doubting her superiority.
Jett Stanley took up a much handier position in fifth this time before angling out at the top of the straight to let his mount rip down the middle of the track.
Concord Connie worked through her gears and strode to the lead with 175m to run, going on to win by a length and a quarter despite Stanley losing his whip.
“I knew I was on the best horse in the race,” Stanley said. “I’ve been getting fines and suspensions for the whip, so I thought I’d throw it away at the 300m today and get the job done easy.
“I actually think this was just as good as last start. She’s probably come to the end of her preparation and was probably looking for the mile too today. They just went a bit of a harder tempo today, and I had to ask her a little bit earlier than I did last time. It just took that electric turn of foot away from her, but I feel, next preparation, you’ll see a bigger, stronger and more robust horse. She’s a horse with a bright future.”
Concord Connie, who has won three of her four starts and A$265,850 in stakes, is now unlikely to be seen again until the spring.
“She was obviously not quite as dominant today, but Jett kept going with the whip last time and today he obviously didn’t use it at all,” Littlefield said.
“She showed me a few signs that she’s probably towards the end of her campaign – she sweated up between the back legs. She’s certainly a horse who we don’t want to dip into the well too many times with.
“We’ll be very mindful of that and will probably put her on ice now and save her for the spring. We’ll have some options here and also up in Sydney, but I’d love to keep her here and she loves Flemington. Long-range goals could include some nice mares’ races, maybe even something like the Empire Rose (Gr.1, 1600m). But we’re not going to rush into aiming for anything in particular. We’ll just give her a bit of time off in the paddock now and let her tell us when she’s ready.”
Bred by her part-owners Yabby Dam Farms, Concord Connie is by Contributer out of the Written Tycoon mare Tysonic. The filly was offered by Yabby Dam Farms at the 2024 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale but did not meet her A$60,000 reserve.
“I went and looked at her probably three or four times,” Littlefield recalled. “I absolutely loved her, but she was very small and she had tiny feet. We’re so critical of horses at the sales, aren’t we? I just thought A$60,000 was just a little bit too much to spend on something I wasn’t sure about.
“Corey from Griffiths Racing put me in touch with Pat (Driscoll, from Yabby Dam Farms) and suggested the horse come to us. It’s a great story, and there’s plenty more to come.”
Concord Connie is a bright prospect for the High Chaparral stallion Contributer, who stood at Mapperley from 2016 until his death in 2024. Contributer is the sire of 145 winners from 237 runners, with 12 stakes winners headed by Campionessa and Lion’s Roar at Group One level.
Contributer has fashioned a strong record with his progeny in Australia, with 72 winners from 115 runners including stakes winners Lion’s Roar, Campionessa, Snow Patrol and Tenzing. – NZ Racing Desk.
