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Snowden Racing | Snowden Racing News

NEWS

4

May 2024

Coco Jamboo Makes Winning Australian Debut in Hawkesbury Crown

Making her first start in Australia after being purchased at the 2023 Tattersalls December Mare Sale, Coco Jamboo (IRE) gave connections an instant return in Saturday’s $250,000 Group III Pioneer Services Hawkesbury Crown (1300m).Ridden by Tom Sherry for Peter and Paul Snowden, Coco Jamboo (IRE) came from midfield to edge out the front runner Short Shorts (Iffraaj) with Shadows Of Love (Dissident) back in third.The winner of three races for Marco Botti and placed in nine of her 14 starts, the 4-year-old daughter of Massaat (IRE) was a 160,000 gns purchase for Snowden Racing / William Johnson Bloodstock.From the family of 6-time Group 1 winner Bago and dual Group 1 winner Maxios, Coco Jamboo is the best of two winners from a many to race for the Oasis Dream mare Beta Tauri.Coco Jamboo is the second stakes-winner for Teofilo’s Group II Hungerford Stakes winner and Dewhurst Stakes and Two Thousand Guineas runner-up Massaat (IRE), who stands for £3,500 at Mickley Stud.

20

Apr 2024

Huetor Back to His Best in JRA Plate

It’s a day of comebacks at Randwick, and it was the turn of dual Doomben Cup hero Huetor (Fr) to put his best hoof forward in the Group III Toyota Forklifts JRA Plate (2000m).Ridden by Nash Rawiller for Peter and Paul Snowden, the 7-year-old son of Archipenko (USA) stuck hard up against the rail to defeat the Verdi gelding Goldman by two and a quarter lengths with the 6-year-old Shocking gelding Hezashocka one and three-quarter lengths back in third.Paul Snowden said Huetor (Fr) is gradually working up to his best after overcoming a serious eye injury.“We’re starting to get there,” he said.“Honestly, there were plenty of excuses in his first-up run. He got caught behind a horse that was going nowhere. He got dragged back through the ruck and he’s a horse once you start to let him come up underneath you, you’ve got to really go with him and just keep pointing him in the right direction.”“You can’t stop and start him. Believe it or not, I reckon he’s won about four or five races just cutting the corner and coming up the fence like that.”“I believe he’s going better than what his last run suggests. It is a little shock because he has struggled in these heavy conditions before. But obviously, we’re heading up to the Hollindale and the Doomben Cup, and he’s going up there in really good form.”“Lauren, who looks after this horse, has lived with him day and night. We actually took him out of the hospital and we cared for him ourselves, and there’s no better than being at home and trying to get them a little bit better and a little more comfortable. It’s all testament to her and what she did for him to get him back as good as he has. And it’s a good result for everyone.”Nash Rawiller confided he was thrilled to be gifted an inside run.“I think the fence has been pretty good all day,” Rawiller said.“He drew one, I let him find his feet. He’s probably not rock-hard fit yet but he was able to conserve his energy in the run. Like I said to connections before the race, ‘if we get to the half-mile and we’re going alright, we’ll know we’re a chance’ because the ground might have found him out by then.“You could see there that he was travelling, and he’s got a terrific turn of foot, we know that. You don’t win Doomben Cups if you don’t have that sort of ability.”Huetor (FR) advances his record to eight wins, one second, and three thirds from 30 starts with earnings of $1,877,271.Bred by Sarl Darpat France, Huetor (FR) is a half-brother to the 2019 Group 1 Longchamp Prix de l'Opera winner Villa Marina (Le Havre).They are two of the six winners from ten to race out of the stakes-winning Peintre Celebre mare Briviesca.The Group 1 HK Queen Elizabeth II Cup winner Archipenko (Kingmambo), died at Lanwades Stud in 2017 at the age of 13.Copy: Breednet

16

Mar 2024

Drifting Wins G3 Magic Night

It was a Widden Stud sired trifecta in the $350,000 Group III ATC Magic Night Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on Saturday with first and third home Drifting and Chateau Miraval by first season sire Zousain, while Trapeze Artist filly Fly Fly split the pair to snatch second.Trained by Peter and Paul Snowden, Drifting kicked off her career with an easy win at Hawkesbury last month and then showed her talent with a good second to Bold Bastille in the Listed VRC Furphy Stakes at Flemington on March 2.Returned to Sydney and stepping up to 1200m for the first time, Drifting enjoyed a good run in transit for Tom Sherry and was strong to the line winning by more than a length.Paul Snowden was non-committal as regards Drifting backing up next Saturday for the Group I ATC Golden Slipper from which she is now exempt from ballot.“We’ll give her every opportunity and she has all week,” said Paul Snowden.“She’s pretty tough and has bounced back through her runs pretty quick and she’s been to Melbourne and back and it hasn’t fazed her at all, so it will be up to her and we’ll probably know on Tuesday.”Tom Sherry won the maiden on Drifting and has been keen to stick with her.“When she flattens out she gives you that good feel and I think if something challenged her she would have gone again,” Sherry said.“She has a lovely demeanour and a great attitude, so we’ll see where she ends up from here.”A $160,000 Inglis Classic purchase from Murrulla Stud for Snowden Racing / William Johnson Bloodstock, Drifting runs for a big group of happy owners including the Snowden family and has already banked nearly $200,000 with two wins and a second from three starts.Bred by Baddock Bloodstock, Drifting is the third winner from three foals to race from Backpacker Express, a half-sister by Big Brown (USA) to Group II winning filly Downhill Racer from the family of Group II winner Schubert.Backpacker Express was bought by Murrulla Stud at the 2022 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale for just $20,000, so is looking like an absolute bargain! She had a filly by Heroic Valour last spring and is now in foal to Profiteer.Murrulla Stud offered the full sister to Drifting at the Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale, but she passed in shy of her $100,000 reserve.Drifting is the first stakes-winner for Zoustar’s Group II winning son Zousain, who has had great support in his first four seasons at stud and covered 189 mares last spring at a fee of $22,000.Copy: Breednet

14

Jan 2024

King of Sparta Loves the Gold Coast!

Yarraman Park bred, sold and co-owned I Am Invincible gelding King of Sparta captured the Magic Millions 3YO Guineas in 2022, the Magic Millions Sprint in 2023 and returned to the Gold Coast on Saturday to do it all again scoring a commanding win in the $1million Magic Millions Snippets (1200m).The Peter and Paul Snowden trained King Of Sparta was backed as though unbeatable and proved to be exactly that. Ridden by James McDonald he showed his class to cruise clear and win by a couple of lengths in 1:08.26 seconds.Peter Snowden had some anxious moments after the start when King of Sparta had drifted back in the field, but it all came together when it mattered.“I said to J-Mac that he's better than these horses and he can afford to give them a bit of a start when you get him balanced but when he jumped and stepped like that I thought 'my God, I might have said too much there',” said Peter Snowden."But at the 600-metre mark he started to truck up and he went around them a couple of strides and he's a pretty talented horse. With the sorts of horses he's been meeting compared to today - without putting any of those horses down here today - he's been running against elite, Everest horses and running well."He thoroughly deserved the win."Someone asked this morning what we'd do after today and I said get him ready for next year."Some horses thrive on work and this horse is the opposite. The fresher he is the better and that turn-of-foot today was outstanding." A $700,000 yearling purchase for China Horse Club, Newgate Farm and Starlight Racing from Yarraman Park at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale, King of Sparta was gelded after just four runs and his overall record is now seven wins and seven placings from 27 starts with prizemoney topping $3.2million. After being gelded he had a change of ownership and King Of Sparta is now raced by a syndicate headed by Yarraman Park and is the fourth foal, and best performer to date for Group III winning Holly Roman Emperor (IRE) mare Octavia, who is back in foal again to I Am Invincible.News from Breednet

11

Nov 2023

Unspoken takes out the Five Diamonds

Unspoken has continued his rise through the ranks this spring with the biggest victory of his career in the $2 million Five Diamonds at Rosehill. The imported Unspoken ($7.50) had been unbeaten in three starts so far this campaign on his way to Saturday’s rich race for five-year-olds, and he stepped up again to defeat a gallant Zoumon ($21) by a head. Detonator Jack ($11) closed the race off well for third, another neck away, while favourite Antino ($2.20) was slowly away and struck some traffic in the home straight before finishing 10th in the field of 14. Co-trainer Paul Snowden said five-year-old Unspoken had now acclimatised to Australia in his second campaign here and the proof of that has been in the gelding’s performances this campaign. “It’s been a really solid preparation from him, he’s unbeaten,” Snowden said. The Five Diamonds was run over 1800m but Snowden is convinced the gelding will relish racing over more ground next campaign. “He’s bred to get a lot longer than this,” Snowden said. “He probably could end up in a Caulfield Cup next year. “We pushed him out in distance last prep and this is where the acclimatisation comes in, he just wasn’t ready. “He wasn’t putting it all together on race day. At home he’s a lovely, relaxed animal but this prep has been a completely different kettle of fish.” Jockey Tom Sherry positioned Unspoken just behind the leaders before making his run in the home straight. Zoumon continued to fight on the inside but Unspoken was not to be denied, giving Sherry one of his biggest wins. “Prizemoney-wise it’s my biggest win,” Sherry said. “I’ve won a Group Two and got a great thrill out of that but this was special. “Peter and Paul keep believing in me, and giving me back the ride. “The horse was brilliant, I really enjoyed that.”

3

Nov 2023

Mazu due a change of fortune

It hasn’t been a smooth spring for Mazu, but co-trainer Paul Snowden is adamant the talented sprinter only needs even luck to feature in the Giga Kick Stakes at Rosehill. The Group 1 winner missed a crucial Everest lead-up when he was scratched from the Premiere Stakes on race morning after injuring himself in his box overnight. A subsequent barrier trial put his Everest preparation back on track, only for bad luck to again intervene in the race itself when he was squeezed out of a run at the top of the straight. “We didn’t get to see how well he is going in The Everest, we were coming into it nicely and the gate shut,” Paul Snowden said. “Once we missed the Premiere (Stakes), it has been a disappointing prep for us. “Everyone hasn’t seen how well he’s going because he’s going terrific and he’s a very happy horse, we just need to get a bit of luck on the day.” The first piece of luck could be a forecast for rain on Saturday as Mazu is a superior horse on wet tracks. Snowden’s other hope is that Everest winner and odds-on favourite Think About It, along with his Joe Pride-trained stablemate and Everest placegetter Private Eye, may have already peaked for the campaign. Private Eye and Mazu ran one-two in the corresponding race last year, but Snowden said his charge had come to the end of his preparation at the time, whereas this year he had something in the tank. “We found once we got to this race last year, he had run his best race in The Everest,” Snowden said. “It’s a completely different story this preparation knowing he hasn’t had those (tough) runs because of those little hiccups. “He is going as good as he can, it’s whether the others turn up. “But both of Joe’s are very tough horses and they will be hard to beat.”

7

Oct 2023

King’s Gambit lands the crown in Roman Consul

Paul Snowden will almost certainly resist any temptation to back-up brilliant Roman Consul Stakes winner King’s Gambit in The Everest, but he won’t be surprised to see the colt in the $20 million sprint next year. One slot remains to be filled with Yulong yet to confirm its runner for next week and while Snowden says the final decision will rest with the three-year-old’s owners, he is preferring the Coolmore Stud Stakes an as option. “I think the best thing for the horse is to wait twelve months. Today there are 10,000 people (on track), on Everest day there is 50,000 people and that can bring him undone pre-race. “I think he will be there next year. “I would like to have a crack at the race down the straight (Coolmore).” Group 1 placed in the Golden Slipper at two, King’s Gambit has been a work in progress and the team have taken him for several race day experiences without running him to help him learn to harness his nerves. It didn’t work out first-up in Melbourne when he over-raced in front and tired to finish third, but the hard work paid off in Saturday’s Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill. Tommy Berry let King’s Gambit ($5) find his feet early and he zipped home along the inside to score by 1-3/4 lengths over Mexico ($41) with Ozzmosis ($2.45 Boombet fav) suffering his first defeat, another short head away third. Topping off the win was the fact King’s Gambit delivered it on Peter Snowden’s birthday. “We have put a lot of work into this bloke,” Snowden said. “It’s all worthwhile. We wouldn’t have done it if we didn’t think he was capable of winning like that. “If he gets it right, that is what he can do. He’s a very, very good horse. “I still feel we’ve only seen fifty per cent of what he can do.” Trainer Bjorn Baker wasn’t disappointed in Ozzmosis, who jockey Rachel King said, “was pretty naughty in the gates today”, and Baker will keep him fresh for a rematch with King’s Gambit in the Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) next month. “Hopefully we get him to peak there and if he does, he’s going to be right in the race,” Baker said. “He’s gone well. I would have loved a touch more time into this race from his first-up run, but he will be spot-on with a four-week break.”

5

Oct 2023

Sheeza Belter Sells for $1.35 million in MM Virtual Sale

Former Group One winning juvenile Sheeza Belter has sold for $1.35 million at a special Virtual Auction held on the Gold Coast today. The outstanding daughter of Gold Standard, just turned four, was purchased by Victoria’s Highway Farm after an enthralling online bidding battle before auctioneer Clint Donovan brought down his gavel. The result was celebrated by Sheeza Belter’s ownership group who were tuned into the auction from Western Australia. “It is a very nerve-wracking experience selling a horse around that level,” her original buyer and part owner Justin Warwick said. “I’m relieved that the process has been a success and I’m very happy to see where she is going and the opportunity she will have.” Sheeza Belter was purchased by Warwick for $50,000 at the 2021 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale and she kicked away her career in Perth with trainer Luke Fernie. She headed east after winning the Magic Millions WA 2YO Classic (RL) at Pinjarra and won the Group Two BTC Sires’ Produce Stakes before a famous win in the Group One JJ Atkins. At three she trained on to win the Group Two Hot Danish Stakes in Sydney – beating her older and more experienced rivals. “She has taken all of us on such a wonderful ride,” Warwick noted. “When you buy a horse you dream of what might be to come.” “This girl delivered on that dream. She gave us so much joy on the racetrack and we are excited about her prospects for the next stage of her journey.” “One chapter of the book has now finished but the best thing is, she will get looked after so well and be given a chance with the best stallions in the world.” “Breeding is not what us part owners do, but we can now sit back and hope that her offspring go well and we can say we played a part in that,” Warwick added. Today’s special one lot virtual sale was the first of its kind conducted by Magic Millions and has been heralded as an exciting way forward for the industry. “I believe moving forward this is the most genuine and transparent way to sell horses outside of a large auction,” Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch said. “When you’re lucky enough to have the best auctioneers in the world you can create an experience for both vendor and buyer that is unparalleled.” “We are delighted with the way today’s auction played out and we look forward, when the right opportunity arises, to doing more of these in the future.” “Thanks to Justin and the ownership group for entrusting us to offer Sheeza Belter,” Bowditch added. “We’re proud to have a delivered a great result.”News from Magic Millions

26

Sep 2023

Time called on star Perth-owned mare

Star Perth-owned mare Sheeza Belter has been retired with managing owner Justin Warwick calling time on her outstanding racing career. The multiple stakes winner ran her final race in Sydney last Saturday when she failed to beat a runner home in the G2 Golden Pendant (1400m) at Rosehill. “She won’t race again,”Justin Warwick said. “She’ll get auctioned off by Magic Millions in the next 10 days. “She’s had enough and is ready for the next stage of her life basically. “We probably knew this was going to be her last preparation. “She’s too valuable and obviously owes us nothing. “There has been a fair amount of interest in her anyhow, people approaching us. “With the breeding season here and obviously the northern hemisphere starts in January. “There’s a lot of interest in her and she’ll be auctioned in the next 10-days.” Bred by Mt Hallowell Stud, Sheeza Belter failed to make her $50,000 reserve at the Perth Magic Millions Yearling Sale before being sold to Warwick. The daughter of Gold Standard started her racing life in Perth, winning the Magic Millions WA 2YO Classic (1200m) at Pinjarra in brilliant fashion, coming from near last. She then followed up scoring multiple stakes wins for Sydney co-trainers Peter and Paul Snowden claiming a career-best in the G1 JJ Atkins (1600m) at Eagle Farm. She also claimed G2 victories in the Sires’ Produce (1400m) at Eagle Farm and the Hot Danish (1400m) at Rosehill, jockey William Pike partnering in both wins and the J.J.Atkins. Sheeza Belter, who had her final run for Annabel Neasham, ends her racing career with five wins and three placings from 14 starts and close to $2 million in stake earnings.