Trainer Peter Snowden is not short of experience when it comes to winning Australia's great races, with multiple Golden Slippers', Blue Diamonds', Caulfield Guineas' and Golden Roses' on his CV, but the veteran conditioner, who trains in partnership with his son Paul, was not mincing words on Saturday when telling reporters what the team's win with Redzel (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}) in the inaugural A$10-million The Everest meant to him.
“This is the best by far,” Snowden said. “Our first Golden Slipper was exceptional; I didn't think I'd ever get that feeling again but today is well past it.”
A crowd in excess of 33,000 showed up to Randwick for The Everest, and Snowden said he had never seen such an atmosphere at the races in Sydney before.
“It's so good,” he said. “You don't hear a roar when they jump in Sydney. They never have. It's the first time I've ever heard it here. This race means a lot to a lot of people.”
“The money is great but for me it was all about the race with the best sprinters in the land,” Snowden added. “It's been a tremendous ride.”
Saturday, Randwick, Australia
THE TAB EVEREST, Cond, A$10,000,000, RAN, 10-14, 3yo/up, Weight For Age, 1200mT, 1:08.36, Good.
1-REDZEL, 58.5, g, 5, by Snitzel
1st Dam: Millrich (GSW & G1SP-$229,169), by Rubiton
2nd Dam: Mill Rani, by Millionaire (Ire)
3rd Dam: Sana Rani (NZ), by Pakistan II (GB)
(A$55,000 RNA wnl '13 MGLMAY; A$45,000 wnl '13 INGJUL;
A$120,000 yrl '14 MMLJAN) O-Triple Crown Synd (Mgr: C H
Ward,), Walfam No 2 (Mgr: B Walsh), Ten Players (Mgr: S J
Fletcher), J N Allen, P Piras, V P Chau, T W Cheng, M R
Waddington, Mrs A Gibson, Dr A Kuok, J W Medland, T
Kocovski, Mrs P Di Marco, L Halloran, M E Hardwick, B D
Playford, D Yates & A Savage; B-L J Fleming; T-Peter & Paul
Snowden; J-Kerrin McEvoy; A$5,800,000. Lifetime Record:
G1SW-Aus, 20-10-4-1, A$7,135,118. *1/2 to Danerich (Aus)
(Danehill), GSW-Aus, $213,616. Werk Nick Rating: A+++
*Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2-Vega Magic, g, 5, Lope de Vega (Ire)-Admirable, by Magic
Albert. O-H W Daly, G E Daly; B-H W Daly; T-David A & B Hayes
& Tom Dabernig; A$1,425,000.
3-Brave Smash (Jpn), h, 5, Tosen Phantom (Jpn)-Tosen Smash
(Jpn), by Tokai Teio (Jpn). O-Australian Bloodstock, Mt
Hallowell Stud, Power Thoroughbreds, G Kairouz, Carty Racing,
Walker Racing, A Brogan, D Butcher, Platinum Breeding &
Racing, Dr P Goel, D Canny, T Porter, T Ginnane, M Johnston, D
O'connor, B Shannon, Mrs K Davis, Mrs K Davis, Mrs K
Cicciarelli, Brave Smash, A Bates; B-Takaya Shimakawa; T-
Darren Weir; A$800,000.
Margins: 0.8 len, 1 len, 1.5 len. Odds: 7.50, 3.80, 18.00.
Also Ran: Chautauqua, Tulip, English, Houtzen, Clearly Innocent, Deploy, Redkirk Warrior (GB), She Will Reign, Fell Swoop.
Click for the Racing Post result. Click for the free Arion.co.nz catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO.
Proving himself at the top of the pile was Triple Crown Syndications' Redzel, who was snagged by James Harron Bloodstock to fill its Everest slot after a two length first-up win in the G3 Concorde S. over 1000 metres at Randwick on Sept. 2. The 5-year-old gelding was recording his third straight win that day coming off a career high in the G1 Doomben 10,000 on May 13. Having also accounted for the G2 The Shorts S. at Randwick on Sept. 16, he has now won five straight.
By the time the field of 12-each of whose connections had paid a A$600,000 slotholder entry fee or negotiated a deal with a slotholder-was loaded into the barriers, Redzel was at odds of A$7.50, with favouritism eventually falling to the last-out G1 Memsie S. winner Vega Magic, with G1 Golden Slipper and G1 Schweppes S. winner She Will Reign (Aus) (Manhattan Rain {Aus}) also receiving plenty of attention. Redzel was among the fastest from the gates and as expected the 3-year-old filly Houtzen (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) rushed up from her rail draw to grab the lead. Redzel pressed that rival from the outside as She Will Reign traveled about three lengths back on the fence and Vega Magic raced wide without cover in midfield. An ominous presence at the back of the field was the champion sprinter and Randwick 1200 specialist Chautauqua (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}), who raced on the heels of English (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}) as they passed the 600. Redzel drew even with Houtzen coming off the bend and disposed of her while still under a handride from Kerrin McEvoy approaching the 200. Brave Smash, meanwhile, was working his way closer from midpack while Vega Magic came flying down the outside with Chautauqua nearly matching strides with him on the inside. They were ultimately chasing in vain, however, as Redzel hit the line three-quarters of a length to the good under hand urging.
Paul Snowden, assistant to his father for many years before the pair left Darley to open a public stable in 2014, was in similar mood to his father post-race.
“I can't talk. It's a massive thing for the stable. Just so, so relieved,” he said. “I had to remind myself how old Redzel was this morning. He is only five and is at the peak of his career. He has got another couple of years in him at top level and it's all before him.”
“Probably 12 months ago was the turning point when we decided to train him differently and space his runs,” Paul Snowden added. “He puts a lot into his work and a lot into his racing so something had to give. We have been bubbling with excitement all week. I'd be no good as a poker player because it was written on my face all week just how confident we were.”
McEvoy has a history of success with the Snowdens, having been retained jockey to Darley during their tenure, and he said, “What a race to win, it is so exciting. It's such a thrill to be part of it. Such a huge buzz. [The Everest] is already a huge success and I am thrilled to win the first one. It couldn't have worked out any better in the run, we had a dream run outside of the leader. I am over the moon.”
James Harron has also enjoyed plenty of success with the Snowdens as the primary trainers of the runners in his colts' syndicate, including the 2016 Golden Slipper winner Capitalist. Harron said he began talks with the Snowdens and the team at Triple Crown Syndications when he determined he didn't have a runner in his own colours suitable for the world's richest turf race.
“Thanks to Peter and Paul Snowden. We put a lot of faith in them with a lot of business and this was just another endorsement of the belief we have in them as well as Kerrin McEvoy,” Harron said. “We went into this concept treating it as a business decision and if we didn't have a horse suitable we wanted the next best thing. Redzel was that and has a great team around him.”
“What a day. What a thrill,” Harron added. “Hats off to Peter V'landys, ATC, Racing NSW. This is like nothing I've ever seen on a racecourse before. Ever. It's absolutely unbelievable.”
Pedigree Notes…
Redzel is just the latest endorsement for his sire Snitzel, who was last season's multiple record-breaking champion sire and is already well out in front in this year's premiership. Even before Redzel's Everest earnings, Snitzel had double the progeny earnings of the former premiership runner-up, Winx's sire Street Cry (Ire). With Saturday accounted for, Snitzel now sits at earnings of over A$10.2-million for the season, with his Arrowfield barnmate and fellow Redoute's Choice son Not A Single Doubt (Aus) jumping up to second (A$3.5-million) after a banner day on Saturday with four stakes winners.
Redzel is the last foal produced by the G3 Sweet Embrace S. winner and Golden Slipper third Millrich, who died the year she foaled him. Millrich's best prior representative had been the Group 3 winner and sire Danerich. Millrich is a sister to three stakes producers, including the dam of New Zealand listed winner and G1 Randwick Guineas second El Roca (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}).
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
