Clarry Conners set to aim high with a filly John Singleton named after his wife

John Singleton will produce his latest two-year-old prospect this week whose name came about after a funny conversation with trainer Clarry Conners’ wife.

John Singleton and Clarry Conners have a promising filly on their hands. Picture: Peter Wallis

A promising filly named following a comical phone call with larrikin owner John Singleton could have gun trainer Clarry Conners dreaming of another Golden Slipper tilt after Friday.

Mrs Maree will make her highly-anticipated debut for Conners’ yard at Canterbury Park as she looks to lay down an autumn marker for the stable.

The daughter of Written Tycoon is raced by long-time client Singleton, who he combined with to win the 2000 Golden Slipper with Belle De Jour.

Their latest filly had remained nameless leading into her first trial before a phone call with Conners’ wife Maree.

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“Maree rang him up and said ‘John, you still don’t have a name for that filly’ and he rung back and said ‘I just named it ‘Mrs Maree’,” Conners said.

“When he rings me now, he asks me how ‘Maree’ is going and I tell him both are going well.”

Singleton famously shouted the bar when Belle Du Jour scored one of the most amazing wins in Slipper history.

It was Conners’ fourth win in the race after he had first claimed the Slipper with two-year-old triple crown winner Tierce in 1991 before Burst completed the same feat for the stable a year later.

Prowl delivered Conners his third Slipper victory in 1998.

While Friday’s Canterbury Park meeting is a long way from the Slipper, Conners has been impressed with what he’s seen from Mrs Maree in the lead-up to her debut.

Looks ready to go now with a 2nd impressive trial win for this unraced filly.

Mrs Maree (2f Written Tycoon x Exceeds).
$500k buy for @clarryconners1 from @TwinHillsStud at @mmsnippets Gold Coast.

The half-brother by Maurice headed to @inglis_sales Classic in Feb.… pic.twitter.com/rsw3Cnw82d

— Breednet (@BreednetNews) December 29, 2023

The daughter of Written Tycoon has won both trials this preparation at Wyong and Rosehill Gardens ahead of her debut in the Bivouac First Yearlings Maiden Handicap (1100m).

“She is a very kind filly and is very athletic looking,” Conners said.

“She is a dream to train. There are no tricks to her, she is just so easy to train and she shows a fair bit of potential.”

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Mrs Maree was snapped up for $500,000 at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for Singleton, who has recently downsized his racing portfolio and sold his beloved Strawberry Hill Stud.

Mrs Maree is among the horses he’s kept to race and was eligible to run in Saturday week’s Magic Millions 2YO Classic however a trip to the Gold Coast is not on the cards.

“She is a nice filly,” Conners said.

“We bought her up at last year’s Magic Millions but she just wasn’t ready to go up there so we decided to stay in Sydney.

“We will just give her this one run and then she will have a little bit of a break to get her ready for the main races then.

“The (Golden) Slipper is the plan but that’s the plan with 500 other people.

“She has got a lot of potential, I’ve just got to look after is all and she wasn’t ready to go up to Queensland so we will give her the run her and hopefully she can win.”

Even before her first race start, Mrs Maree is a $51 chance for this year’s Golden Slipper.

Originally published as Clarry Conners set to aim high with a filly John Singleton named after his wife