Snitzanova toughs it out for Sandown Guineas win
Ciaron Maher predicted a stellar future for Snitzanova (Snitzel) after she showed her “grit and tenacity” in raising two hat-tricks at once on Saturday: her own personal three-peat and the third straight win for a filly in the Sandown Guineas (Gr 2, 1600m).
Continuing a sparkling spring for syndicators Bennett Racing, Snitzanova won out in a titanic duel up the straight with Bittercreek (Snitzel), beating him off by 0.3 lengths as Arrowfield’s flagbearing stallion sealed the quinella.
The slugging victory under Daniel Stackhouse on a Caulfield Heavy 8 was Snitzanova’s third successive win from her only four starts, and followed fillies’ wins in the past two editions of the race for another Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) last year in Serasana, and See You In Heaven (Divine Prophet) in 2022.
Archie Alexander’s promising second-starter Somewhere (Puissance De Lune) was third, 1.4 lengths off the winner.
Snitzanova, on the fourth line of betting at $6, went into the race after wins at her second start in a Kensington Super Maiden (1400m) on October 30, and in Newcastle’s Spring Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m) on November 16.
A delighted Maher later forecast an exciting career for the now dual stakes-winning three-year-old, a $200,000 purchase for Bennett Racing from Arrowfield’s draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast sale who is one of Snitzel’s 153 individual stakes winners worldwide.
“That bit of grit and tenacity is what you hope to have and harnessing that and pointing her in the right direction is the key to ensuring they fulfil their potential,” Maher said.
“She’s got a bit of that in her. You could see that today. She hasn’t got the biggest action, or she’s not the biggest horse, but she’s got a lot of grit and determination and even Daniel said late she was going away from them again.
“As she strengthens she’s only going to get better, but she’s done a great job already.”
Maher added Snitzanova may even defy the Snitzel norm by becoming an Oaks filly in the autumn. Just eight of Snitzel’s stakes winners have come beyond 1800 metres – with only one at further than 2200 metres – yet Maher cited his Geelong Classic (Listed, 2200m) winning son of the four-time champion stallion in Saint Emilion as an inspiration.
“It would be interesting whether she’d get the mile-and-a-half but we did have a Snitzel get the Geelong Classic this year, so you never know,” Maher said. “But she’s got a bright future.”
Adding to the filly’s staying possibilities is she’s out of a Galileo (Sadler’s Wells) mare in the unraced Albanilla, who died last year.
Snitzanova’s triumph extended a glorious spring for Bennett Racing. Among other successes, their orange and black checks have been carried to top-tier glory by Southport Tycoon (Written Tycoon) in the Manikato Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m), and to a Group 2 victory by yet another offspring of Snitzel in sprinter Baraqiel.
“Nathan Bennett, the amount of people he brings to the races with his syndication … he’s had a phenomenal spring and they just keep coming through,” Maher said.
“It’s uncanny. He’s got a lot of two-year-olds in the stable and they all show a bit as well. Congratulations to him and his team and my team as well.”
Stackhouse was impressed with the fight Snitzanova displayed in beating off Bittercreek late on.
“On the corner I just sat and waited, I didn’t want to get on my bike too early, but to her credit when Ben Allen [on Bittercreek] came around me she really grabbed the bridle and was in for the fight,” said Stackhouse, who gained the ride as a late substitute from the injured Michael Dee.
“She was beaten multiple times up the straight but she just fought hard and she ran away, so she’s got a big bright future.”
Snitzanova is Albanilla’s fourth and best foal, and follows half-brother Lenape Vibe (Maurice), who became a metro winner at Canterbury in June.
Sister Hiatus was a $350,000 Gold Coast buy from Arrowfield’s draft this year for McEvoy Mitchell Racing and Belmont Bloodstock.
Snitzanova was bred by Hong Kong-based Australian David Boehme’s Pacific King PL, also the breeder of another Maher-trained stakes winner in the speedy Recommendation (Shalaa).
Godolphin’s $3.50 favourite Pisces (Frosted) wasn’t a factor in the heavy going in the Guineas, finishing seventh of the 11 runners.
New Energy makes Australian breakthrough in Eclipse Stakes
Australian Bloodstock’s New Energy (New Bay) broke through for his first victory since his import from Ireland ith a late swoop to take Caulfield’s Eclipse Stakes (Gr 3, 1800m) on Saturday.
The six-year-old was bought in 2023 as something of a gamble, the winner of just a two-year-old maiden over seven furlongs at the Curragh from 11 starts, although he had placed second in the Irish 2000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) amid four attempts at the top level.
His new connections had him gelded before his passage to Australia in hope of curbing some obstreperousness and improving his prospects on the track, but New Energy had been slow to produce rewards.
Though his Australian debut was promising – a second in Randwick’s Liverpool City Cup (Gr 3, 1300m) in March – his six subsequent runs yielded no better than a fifth.
But his potential was shown with an unlucky 3.4-length sixth when held up in Flemington’s Cantala Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m), and he franked the form on Saturday by claiming the Eclipse, after jumping from gate seven of ten.
Settled towards the rear of the field on a Heavy 8 by Mark Zahra, New Energy pushed up ominously on the inside on straightening, but his pathway to the line was heavily crowded.
While still two lengths astern of leader Poison Chalice (Savabeel) at the 150 metres and needing a way out, New Energy was angled to his right through a narrow gap at the 100 metres, and rose to his challenge to wear down his quarry in the last 15 metres to score by 0.3 lengths.
Zahra’s desperation later cost him. So narrow was the gap he took that stewards suspended for 14 meetings for causing interference. The ban takes effect from December 9, allowing him to ride Cups double hero Without A Fight (Teofilo) in next Sunday’s Hong Kong Vase (Gr 1, 2400m) at Sha Tin.
The Eclipse market was spot on, with New Energy the $4.20 favourite and Poison Chalice second elect at $4.40. Holymanz (Almanzor), also in the care of winning trainer Ciaron Maher, took third.
“He’s a horse that promised a lot when he came over,” Maher said of New Energy. “We gelded him while he was in [Europe], because he was fairly unruly, and it’s just taken him a while to settle into the routine and hit his straps.
“I was saying to Jamie [Lovett of Australian Bloodstock], he’s come up really well. It’s the most condition he’s carried but he can be a bit of a handful at trackwork.
“He’s been up in Sydney and the team have done a good job with him there. He’s come down here, he’s settled in and he’s a horse that had some really good form over [in Europe] and it’s just taken him a while.”
Maher said he had asked Zahra to “make the furlong the winning post” to ensure the usually fast-finishing New Energy was clear early.
“Well, it couldn’t have worked out any more to the contrary, but it’s fantastic,” Maher said. “And Australian Bloodstock, they just keep finding these good horses.
“I think this horse will go right on with it. He’s a pretty good horse and he’ll get a lot of confidence.
“He’d only won one race and tested a few punters’ patience but the team have done a good job, beautiful ride by Mark and thanks to Australian Bloodstock.”
Zahra was full of praise for New Energy, who became the second Australian stakes winner for Ballylinch Stud’s New Bay (Dubawi) after Hawkesbury Gold Cup (Gr 2, 1600m) victor New Mandate, and the 12-year-old stallion’s 19th worldwide.
“Ciaron said to give him time to get there because he’s always finishing when it’s all over, but I actually gave him no time to get there,” Zahra said.
“I had to squeeze through a gap late but I didn’t mind his chase the last 20 metres when Poison Chalice kicked. He had a chance to turn it up or win, and he won.
“When you win one of 18 you’ve got no confidence, but his form was very good.
“I can see why he’s only won one, or two now, because he’s very quirky, but when things pan his way he showed what he can do.”
New Energy (6 g New Bay – For Joy by Singspiel) is the second stakes winner – and one of six winners from eight foals to race – for his dam For Joy (Singspiel). Her highlights have come far and wide, with Saturday’s Melbourne stakes win following that of her first foal Victoria Regina (Mastercraftsman), in an Italian Group 3 in 2015.
Palm Angel flies to Merson Cooper success
Rosemont Stud homebred Palm Angel (Starspangledbanner) became her Coolmore sire’s 48th individual black type winner in leading throughout in Saturday’s Merson Cooper Stakes (Listed, 1000m) at Caulfield, earning praise from Jason Warren as one of the the best horses he has trained.
Ridden by Ethan Brown, the debutant controlled proceedings from in front on a track that was still a Soft 6 before a downgrade to heavy four races later, and held on to win the important two-year-old feature by 0.8 lengths.
Ciaron Maher’s Wiltshire Square (Wootton Bassett) earned his boom shuttle sire, also at Coolmore, another tick by gaining a dash of black type in running second after travelling just off the pace.
Anthony and Sam Freedman’s Point Barrow (Blue Point) was third, 2.1 lengths off the winner. Tycoon Star (Written Tycoon), the $3.70 favourite, was fourth, beaten 5.8 lengths.
With the race’s honour roll recently including Anamoe (Street Boss), Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) hero Little Brose (Per Incanto) and last year’s winner – subsequent Group 2 victor Eneeza (Exceed And Excel) – the Merson Cooper has launched many a memorable career.
And Warren already believes the daughter of British maiden winner Noblest (Pivotal) could indeed be something special – with echoes of another star female from the same Warren-Rosemont axis.
“We’ve liked this filly a lot from the first day we started galloping her,” he said of Palm Angel, who started at $12 on Saturday.
“We didn’t want to go the early crow but she’s by Starspangledbanner out of a Pivotal mare and we had a bit of fun with a mare called Brooklyn Hustle bred on the same cross, and I said to the boys at Rosemont, the whole team, she’s pretty special, and she’s just shown that at the trials.
“We put her in a trial at Balnarring the other week against the older horses and she cleaned them up. We brought her here Tuesday and she never turned a hair. She’s very much the professional and she’s an exciting filly.
“She’ll have a freshen up now and then we’ll prepare for the Blue Diamond lead-up races.”
Brooklyn Hustle (Starspangledbanner), a daughter of the Pivotal (Polar Falcon) mare Joint Aspiration, won four races for Rosemont and Warren including a Group 2 and a Group 3, and ran fourth in three Group 1s.
Warren said he hadn’t been sure Palm Angel would handle the rain-affected going.
“She was an unknown on the wet but it was a bit damp here on Tuesday when she galloped and Balnarring was a bit damp the other day, so I thought she’d be fine,” he said.
“I do think she’ll probably be better on top of the ground.
“She’s probably one of the best I’ve trained so I’m looking forward to what we get in the autumn”
Brown echoed Warren’s high praise.
“If she wasn’t so small you’d think you were riding a five-year-old. She’s got a great constitution and she’s very well-educated,” he said.
“We came here today confident enough. You’re not sure what you’re going to run into, but she showed her true colours.
“The heavy (sic) track probably wasn’t to her liking but she’ll improve out of the day. She just took me everywhere. Not many two-year-olds do that.
“I didn’t really want to lead on her but she landed there, she was in my hands, she travelled and just her ability to lengthen in that ground was what impressed me.
“She’ll be better again on top of it so she’s an exciting filly going forward.”
Palm Angel (2 f Starspangledbanner – Noblest by Pivotal) is the fourth foal out of Noblest, with her year-older half-brother Narbold (Churchill) a winner who’s been Listed placed for Chris Waller.
Noblest was purchased by Rosemont at the Arqana December Breeding Stock sale of 2016 for €125,000, around $200,000 by today’s rates.
Reverse shuttler Starspangledbanner, who’s just finished serving his 13th Australian book at $44,000, is due to depart for Ireland this week. He now has 12 Australian stakes winners, of 17 race wins.