Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions
Sometimes big things come for bargain prices - and no one understands that better than Kelly Schweida, who purchased 4-year-old filly Miss Joelene (Russian Revolution) for just $20,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Yearling Sale. In 29 starts, the mare has been in the placings 16 times, and she added win number six on Saturday in the Listed Tattersall’s Gold Crown over 2100 metres to shatter the $1 million prize money barrier.
Improving every prep
It’s an elite club, and made all the more so by being Miss Joelene’s first stakes win, although she has proved she is capable of making the grade since her juvenile season where she was beaten less than two lengths in the G2 Champagne Classic, and then produced to roar home from last to run fourth in both the G2 Sires’ Produce Stakes and the G1 JJ Atkins.
“She just changed with every prep,” Schweida said. “She just got stronger every time, and she was one of those athletic 2-year-olds that come on every time they come in.”
"She was one of those athletic 2-year-olds that come on every time they come in." - Kelly Schweida
As a 3-year-old, Miss Joelene returned to bat at stakes level several times, showing Schweida enough to warrant a trip to Sydney for the G1 Flight Stakes and the G2 Tea Rose Stakes. While she didn’t place, it was a path that Schweida had taken with her mother; Cellargirl (More Than Ready {USA}) ran third in both to Alizee (Sepoy) and Champagne Cuddles (Not A Single Doubt).
Returning home to Queensland, Miss Joelene relished being back in the sunshine for her 3-year-old autumn, running third by less than a length in the G2 The Roses and backing that performance up two weeks later with a third behind Socks Nation (Sioux Nation {USA}) in the G1 Queensland Oaks.
Her late spring last year was just as classy; Miss Joelene placed in all six starts over the Queensland summer carnival and took out the $500,000 The Wave, before running third in the $1 million Magic Millions Trophy in January. After just an eight week break, she was straight back into the autumn.
“Every run, I thought that she had improved just that little bit extra,” Schweida said. “She put herself into a lot of these races.”
Miss Joelene kicked off her seven-start autumn and winter campaign with a confidence-boosting win at Doomben in April, beating multiple Group winner Cifrado (Encryption) by a length and a half. She ran fourth in the G2 Hollindale Stakes before being sent out to contest Antino’s (NZ) (Redwood {GB}) record-breaking G1 Doomben Cup.
Kelly Schweida | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Schweida said that, if anything, Miss Joelene relishes deep preparations.
“She’s a bit of an unusual filly,” he said. “She seems to do better the further she gets into a prep. She looked better yesterday than she did seven days ago in the Ipswich Cup. Every race brings her on that bit more. She eats better now than she did at the start of the prep.”
“She (Miss Joelene) looked better yesterday than she did seven days ago in the Ipswich Cup.” - Kelly Schweida
From good stock
In a small twist to this week’s Buy Of The Weekend, Schweida was involved in the breeding of Miss Joelene with Darren Wilson’s Wilrace; of course, Schweida trained her dam Cellargirl to win the Listed Bill Carter stakes and take her big swings down south against Sydney’s best fillies, and Schweida then assisted in selection of her stallion.
When she was offered for sale by Kenmore Lodge, Schweida was happy to sign the docket for the filly to stay - particularly at just $20,000. The average price at the 2022 edition was $46,423, with a median of $26,000.
Miss Joelene | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“She was athletic, but she wasn’t very big,” Schweida said. “Her mother wasn’t very big either. There’s not many Russian Revolutions that can run 2100 metres and she happens to be one of them, so she’s done a good job.”
“There’s not many Russian Revolutions that can run 2100 metres and she (Miss Joelene) happens to be one of them, so she’s done a good job.” - Kelly Schweida
Indeed, Miss Joelene is one of only five winners for Newgate Farm’s Russian Revolution to win a race beyond 2000 metres - over half of his career winners have been between 1000 and 1200 metres, much in the form of their father - and she is his lone stakes winner over the trip. She is also one of only three filly stakes winners for the sire.
Schweida and Wilson took the punt on Russian Revolution in his second season at stud when the dual Group 1-winning sprinter stood for $55,000 (inc GST). Miss Joelene is the seventh stakes winner from that crop, alongside recent G2 Victory Stakes winner Libertad.
“He was a new stallion, and a bit unknown, to be honest,” Schweida admitted. “She’s probably one of his better ones.”
While Russian Revolution would be the Champion First Season Sire in 2021/22 when Schweida purchased Miss Joelene, his first crop had featureed just two juvenile stakes winners; Revolutionary Miss would take out the G2 Blue Diamond Prelude (fillies) and Rise Of The Masses would win the G3 Pago Pago Stakes. In the years since, that number has jumped to six stakes winners, with five picking up wins since the start of 2025.
Russian Revolution | Standing at Newgate Farm
Russian Revolution was the only first season sire that year to have more than one stakes winner, and would far outstrip his rivals with 15 first crop winners. His best performer, Russian Conquest, picked up $582,850 in earnings from two wins and a narrow second to Coolangatta (Written Tycoon) in the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic.
The price is all the more interesting when examining Miss Joelene’s family. Chris Waller produced Cellargirl’s 9-time winning half-brother Cellarman (Mossman) to win the G3 Doncaster Prelude, and another half-sister Cellarmaid (Husson) ran second in the G2 The Roses for Schweida.
Their dam Vintage Blend (Cape Cross {Ire}) was an unraced half-sister to Listed winner Vinter (Hennessy {USA}), dam of Listed Mona Lisa Stakes winner Fitou (Street Cry {Ire}), and dual Group 1-placed Perfect Drop (Quest For Fame {GB}).
Cellargirl | Image courtesy of Sportpix
In fact, Miss Joelene shares her fourth dam Tristram Lady (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}) with Alizee via her influential daughter Triscay (Marscay), who appears in many of Darley's best pedigrees.
When otherwise surrounded by sprinters, it is the presence of broodmare sires Sir Tristram (Ire) and, closer to home, Cape Cross (Ire) that perhaps inject the staying power into Miss Joelene.
One can only imagine that a diminutive filly - perhaps an archetypal maiden foal - simply didn’t attract many bids at that time of year.
Eyes on summer
Miss Joelene now heads for a well-earned break, with Schweida tipping she will enjoy six to eight weeks in the paddock as a reward.
“She backed up in seven days (from the Listed Ipswich Cup),” he said. “She’s raced 4300 metres in seven days, so she well and truly deserves a break. (When she comes back) she might chase a similar path, since she won The Wave last year and then went on to the Magic Millions.
“She’s (Miss Joelene) raced 4300 metres in seven days, so she well and truly deserves a break.” - Kelly Schweida
“It's just when you race so deep into the prep for a fairly long period, you've got to give them a good break. It rules out a lot of the other carnivals.”
While it’s unlikely we will see Miss Joelene back on track before late October, Schweida will have her 3-year-old sister to bring along; the now deceased Cellargirl’s only other living foal Autumngirl (The Autumn Sun) is currently out enjoying a break after struggling to cope with the wet, and Schweida hopes she returns an improved horse.
Miss Joelene | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“She's a bit different to her sister,” Schweida said. “I had high hopes for her, especially because I thought she had a bit of a stouter pedigree being by The Autumn Sun. But I gave her a few runs this time in, and we just tipped her out as I just thought she was hating all the wet tracks. Even though she won on a wet, I don't think she likes the wet.”
The daughter of Arrowfield Stud’s The Autumn Sun was second on debut as a late 2-year-old, before breaking her maiden at her second start last December. She was set to be offered by KBL Thoroughbreds through the same sale as her older sister, but was withdrawn.
