A special filly, an enduring legacy and a Flemington fairytale

Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Some victories mean more than the result on the racetrack, and Caddington’s success in Saturday’s $200,000 Listed Crockett Stakes at Flemington was one of them.

Running on strongly from near the tail of the field, the 3-year-old daughter of Captivant produced a powerful finish at Flemington to secure her second win from three starts and first at stakes level, prompting an emotional celebration among the owners who have followed her journey for a reason far greater than racing.

Trained by Liam Howley, Caddington races in memory of Nicole Strang, who tragically lost her nine-year battle against breast cancer in July 2025, aged 49. Her husband, Adin Strang, is Howley’s general manager, while the filly’s ownership group brings together Nicole and Adin’s family and friends through the Team Strang Syndicates.

Her pink silks, decorated with red hearts, carry a message of their own. They are a reminder of Nicole, the fight she endured and the commitment to continue raising funds and awareness for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

For those gathered at Flemington, the victory was a moment of pride and joy, but also a chance to celebrate the legacy of someone whose memory remains at the heart of the filly’s story.

“There’s been no more important wins than this one,” Howley said after the race.

“It’s all about the team and Adin’s our most important team member; he runs the show. I was lucky enough to sit with him through the last few years of Nicole’s journey. To be able to give them something to smile about like this, it means the world.”

Bringing people together in Nicole’s memory

The idea behind Caddington began with a desire to create something meaningful in Nicole’s memory, while continuing the fundraising and awareness work that she and her family had undertaken during her illness.

Howley approached Kia Ora Stud in the Hunter Valley looking for a filly that could become part of that effort. The intention was to find an early-running type who could give a group of local people something to follow together, rather than a project that might take years to mature.

“We got her from Kia Ora Stud, I’m good mates with Luke Wilkinson and said to him, I need a filly to lease that is hopefully an early kind of type, I didn't want a 4-year-old mare that we have had to wait for as I would lose the big group.”

The plan was to involve 100 Kyneton locals, each with a one per cent share, creating a syndicate that would bring people together through racing while helping raise funds and awareness for breast cancer.

“The group was a good reason to have fun, enjoy the social side, enjoy life and talk about Nicole, so I wanted to get something to go early.”

The Team Strang Syndicate has brought together friends and family, alongside local supporters, around a filly whose racing journey has a purpose beyond prizemoney and results.

For those involved, the initiative also preserves an important part of Nicole’s life. She loved racing and the social connections it created, particularly the opportunity to bring local women and others together to enjoy the sport.

“Nicole loved her racing, she loved the social side of it and getting lots of local woman and people to enjoy racing was what she wanted.”

The effort is also a continuation of the work undertaken by the Strang family during Nicole’s illness, with fundraising and awareness initiatives remaining an important part of the story.

“It’s all about helping drive the awareness and backing up a lot of the hard work that the Strang family have done on raising awareness.

"Adin has driven the initiative, helping bring local people together to support the cause and continue the family’s work in raising awareness and funds for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

“They did so many fundraising and awareness initiatives when Nicole was alive and it’s great that it continues.”

A filly with intelligence and talent

Caddington’s victory at Flemington was the latest step in a rapid progression that began with a fourth placing on debut as a 2-year-old at Sandown, before she broke through for her maiden win at Kyneton on October 8.

Howley had mapped out that maiden win with the local owners in mind, keen to give the group an opportunity to see their filly succeed at their home track. Her subsequent performance in a trial at Caulfield had suggested there was more to come, and the Crockett Stakes confirmed she could take the next step.

“The filly has done a super job. If ever you wanted one to be talented. I looked at her every day of the week hoping that she’d turn out to be this good,” Howley said.

The trainer has been encouraged by Caddington’s attitude and the way she has continued to develop, describing a filly who is straightforward to train, intelligent and quick to learn.

“She is very straight forward in regards to loving her work. I do a lot of Hong Kong work, so have a lot of experience with Capitalists, this filly is by Captivant but she reminds me a lot of the good Capitalists.

“She is made of the right mould of his good ones, very workman like, a bit green early, but she picks things up so quickly, she is very intelligent and the girls in my yard have also said that from early on.”

For Howley, those qualities have been evident throughout her preparation. While Caddington was a touch weak early, she has continued to strengthen and improve, giving her connections reason to believe Saturday’s performance may be the beginning of a longer story.

Caddington’s progress is being celebrated not only for what it means on the track, but also for the determination and togetherness that underpin the initiative in Nicole’s name.

A connection with Kia Ora Stud

Caddington’s story also has an important connection with Kia Ora Stud, which made the filly available to Howley for the initiative and remains involved through its ownership interest.

Kia Ora leased Caddington to Howley, with an arrangement that prizemoney directed towards the cause. The stud has also committed its share of the filly’s returns to the foundation, with a further significant donation planned by Howley.

“Kia Ora have been great to us and they own the filly but their share they have they are donation it straight to the foundation which is great and we will give a significant donation in addition at some stage but hopefully she has some more winning to do.”

The filly was offered through Kia Ora Stud’s draft at the 2025 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, where she was passed in shy of her $100,000 reserve.

Her pedigree provides plenty of interest in its own right. Caddington is by Captivant, the G1 Champagne Stakes winner, and is one of three winners and the first stakes winner out of War Heroine (USA), the American-imported Lonhro mare who won the Group 2 San Clemente Stakes.

War Heroine is another success story for Kia Ora’s investment in mares purchased at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November Sale, having been bought in 2018 for US450,000 (AU$630,000).

Although American-bred, she is by Australian champion Lonhro, who shuttled to the United States for a period. She comes from a strong American family and has continued to produce winners.

War Heroine also has a 2-year-old colt by Captivant named Captain Jacka, who is in work with Brad Widdup, a yearling colt by Farnan and a filly foal by Prague born earlier this month.

A fairytale with more chapters to come

Caddington’s Listed Crockett Stakes win has opened up further opportunities for a filly who has quickly moved through the grades, although Howley is in no rush to settle on her next assignment.

“She has pulled up really well, I’m not sure where the bottom is yet. We may look at The Red Roses on Oaks day or maybe the Thoroughbred Club Stakes at Sandown in November.

The stable will allow the dust to settle before making a decision, with the emotional significance of the Flemington victory shared by the owners and the wider team.

“We will let the dust settle in terms of those plans first though, it’s been an emotional few days, she’s (Caddington) on the grass now and will come back in on Thursday recharged as well as all of her owners.”

Caddington has already shown that she can finish strongly, handle the step into stakes company and continue to improve with racing. Her performance at Flemington has also given her connections something tangible to celebrate as they continue the work behind the initiative.

For Howley, the result was deeply personal, reflecting the relationship he shares with Adin and the journey the family has endured.

“The filly has done a super job. If ever you wanted one to be talented it'd be this one. I looked at her every day of the week hoping that she'd be talented.”

The filly’s growing record will now be followed with renewed interest, but her story is not defined solely by the races she wins. It is also about the people who have rallied around her, the friendships formed through the syndicate and the awareness and fundraising that remain at the heart of the project.

“Post race the story behind Nicole and the initiative is bigger than the win, but I think this filly is smart and could be writing her own stories also in the years to come.”

At Flemington, Caddington delivered a result that brought tears, pride and a reason to smile to those closest to her. As her racing career continues, the pink silks and red hearts will remain a reminder of Nicole Strang, the fight she endured and the people determined to carry her memory forward.