Written by Richard Edmunds
It was the Snowden show at Rosehill on Saturday, with a quinella in the A$500,000 G2 Hyland Race Colours Hot Danish S. providing the perfect follow-up to first and third placings in the inaugural $1 million Golden Gift.
The father-son partnership saddled runners in three races and won all of them, starting with California Longbow (Pierro) in a BM78 H. earlier in the afternoon. But it was in the feature races that Peter and Paul Snowden hit top gear.
Just 45 minutes after Dame Giselle (I Am Invincible) and Blaze A Trail (Criterion {NZ}) flew the stable flag in the Golden Gift, it was over to the mares Reelem In Ruby (Pierro) and Moss Trip (Mossman) to deliver a dream result in the Hot Danish S.
Reelem In Ruby was the $3.80 favourite for the 1400 metre feature, having caught the eye with bold second placings in two lead-up runs including the G3 Nivison on October 26.
She duly delivered, sitting in midfield for jockey Tim Clark before pouncing in the straight and racing to victory by 1.25l – the first black-type win of her 10-start career.
“She’s been knocking on the door,” Paul Snowden said. “It’s her 10th start in a race and she hasn’t finished further back than third in her life. It was vital to get that black type on her page for her breeding career.
“She’s been knocking on the door... It was vital to get that black type on her page for her breeding career." - Paul Snowden
“She’s an ultra-consistent mare. We’ve given her so much time. She was never the finished product, and in the autumn we are probably going to see the best of her. She’s taken so long to mature and get where she needs to be strength-wise, that’s been the poorest quality she has. She’s gone to another level this time. At the moment 1400 metres is going to be her max, but maybe in the autumn she might get a mile.”
She may be given the chance to chase further black-type spoils in the G3 Festival S. later this month, with the G1 Coolmore Classic on her agenda in the autumn.
Tim Clark
Clark was impressed with his mount’s performance on Saturday.
“She’s a gutsy mare and really gives her all,” he said. “I thought I probably held on to her a fraction long the other day, so I made sure I was there to make a move early and she was able to sustain a run right through the line.
“They went quickly early and then just slowed up, so I settled a couple of lengths closer and was there ready to pounce in the straight. I had to have the horse underneath me to do it, but she was great.”
Reelem In Ruby has won four of her 10 starts, finishing second in another five and third in the other. She has earned $547,620 in prizemoney, far eclipsing the $75,000 she cost at the Inglis Sydney Weanling Sale and $90,000 at the Inglis Melbourne Yearling Sale.
Reelem In Ruby as a yearling
Moss Trip finished second to her stablemate in Saturday’s feature, 0.5l ahead of the Group 1 winner El Dorado Dreaming (Ilovethiscity).
Both Reelem In Ruby and Moss Trip are raced by Triple Crown Syndications, whose traditional red colours have been temporarily replaced by a pink equivalent in support of the McGrath Foundation.
“In conjunction with this month and the McGrath Foundation, this is our first winner that has carried the pink colours, and it’s in a Group 2 race,” Snowden said. “Well done to Triple Crown, showing initiative with a great cause. Everyone knows someone who has been through this disease and it’s one too many, so hopefully we can continue with great success through the month.”
The Snowdens were happy to get a winner in the pink equivalent of the Triple Crown colours, who are supporting the McGrath Foundation
Andrew Adkins, who rode the stable’s exciting filly Dame Giselle to victory in the Golden Gift, had to settle for second this time aboard Moss Trip. But he was far from disappointed.
“That was a really nice run,” he said. “It is good to see her back in the stalls. She travelled really good throughout and gave me a nice feel coming to the turn. We got onto the back of the winner. She gave me that real winning feel entering the straight and she ran accordingly. Hopefully she is in for a nice prep, she felt that way.”
