Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Continuing The Thoroughbred Report’s ‘Stable Tours’ journey, TTR AusNZ caught up with Snowden Racing’s racing and bloodstock manager, Colum McCullagh, on Thursday to discuss some of the juveniles we may see step out at the official 2-year-old trials in September.
McCullagh also provided updates on the plans for some of Snowden Racing’s classy 3-year-olds and the established brigade.
Starting with a colt named Impact Zone (Exceed And Excel), McCullagh shared that the colt was purchased for $575,000 by China Horse Club, Newgate, Go Bloodstock, and Trilogy from the draft of Rosemont Stud at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
“We’ve got a number of 2-year-olds coming through the stable at the moment that we are teeing up towards the official juvenile trials on the 23rd of September,” McCullagh told TTR AusNZ.
Impact Zone as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“We have some nice horses for the Newgate/China Horse Club Colt Syndicate and the James Harron Colt Syndicate as well. There’s a 2-year-old colt called Impact Zone. He’s by Exceed And Excel out of a Power mare called Gift Of Power for Henry Field and the team.
“He’s showing quite a bit. It’s still early days, but everything we’ve asked of him at this stage, he’s doing on his ear. So, he’s one to look forward to if he goes the right way.”
“He’s (Impact Zone) showing quite a bit. It’s still early days, but everything we’ve asked of him at this stage, he’s doing on his ear. So, he’s one to look forward to if he goes the right way.” - Colum McCullagh
Gift Of Power (NZ) (Power {GB}) won 11 races, including the G2 Wakefield Challenge S., the Listed Wellesley S., and the Listed Levin S.
McCullagh added, “Another horse would be one named Caesar. He’s a Capitalist horse out of Fimatino. He’s the top-priced Capitalist this year, bought by James Harron. He’s a beautiful, athletic type of horse.
“He looks to have a bit of longevity as well. He’s not your typical Capitalist; he's got a bit more leg under him and moves really well.”
Caesar as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Caesar was an $800,000 purchase by James Harron Bloodstock Colt Partnership from the draft of Attunga Stud at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. The colt is the half-brother Shaquero (Shalaa {Ire}), winner of the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic and G3 Breeders’ Plate.
“To be fair, you don’t really know until the next couple of weeks as we start increasing their workload and open up the bonnet a little bit. But there’s a couple of horses there, and another one would be a Russian Revolution colt out of Aalto that we purchased ourselves.
“He’s out of a Pierro mare. We bought him from Blue Gum Farm at the Magic Millions in January. He’s not your typical Russian Revolution. He seems to have a little bit more scope and size to him, but he moves very well.”
“He’s (2-year-old out of Aalto) not your typical Russian Revolution. He seems to have a little bit more scope and size to him, but he moves very well.” - Colum McCullagh
The son of Russian Revolution is from the Pierro mare Aalto, who is a daughter of Miss Mooney Mooney (Redoute’s Choice), a winner of the Listed City of Marion and placed in the G2 Schweppes S.
He was purchased by Snowden Racing from the draft of Blue Gum for $240,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Russian Revolution x Aalto (colt) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“Another one would be a Capitalist filly out of Notation. She’s one that we purchased on the Saturday night of Magic Millions. She was bred by Rob Love and the late Donna Love. She’s a beautiful filly, just very straightforward, out of a nice Fastnet Rock mare. She has a really good mindset and is very good mentally, which is going to take her a long way.”
Notation won five races and was placed in the G3 Tibbie S. and finished fourth in the Listed Mona Lisa. The filly was purchased for $350,000 from the draft of Newgate Farm at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Colum McCullagh | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Rounding off the juveniles to watch, McCullagh said, “There’s a Russian Revolution colt out of Eiffel Tower that we bought from Vinery at the Magic Millions. His brother is a horse called Capital Delight, who is racing in Hong Kong and has won over $1.2 million in prize money.”
Eiffel Tower (Stratum) is a half-sister to the Listed winner Sangria (I Am Invincible) and from the family of Manhattan Rain and Rubick.
“He looks like a real up-and-running 2-year-old type. He’s very strong, very forward, and showing plenty.”
“He (Eiffel Tower) looks like a real up-and-running 2-year-old type. He’s very strong, very forward, and showing plenty.” - Colum McCullagh
McCullagh also nominated a son of So You Think (NZ) from the Encosta De Lago mare Crystal Flute, now named The Confidante. A dual winner, she is also the dam of Meritable (Snitzel), who was placed in the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas and the G2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial S.
“We purchased this So You Think colt from The Chase. Mr Teo is a very good client and has retained equity in the horse, and it’s good to have Duncan Ramage from Think Big Stud/DGR come into the horse.
The Confidante as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“It’s good to have people who raced So You Think themselves coming into a son of his. There’s a little bit of equity left in him as well, which has surprised me.”
High Octane on Golden Path
McCullagh indicated that he and Snowden were pleased with the first-up run of High Octane (Deep Field) in last Saturday’s Listed The Rosebud. The Listed Blue Diamond Preview (Colts and Geldings) victor finished third behind Gatsby’s (Snitzel) but was eye-catching in the run home.
“He’s come through The Rosebud really well. He was definitely, if not the one, the eye-catching run out of the race. I think everyone else was kind of a little bit obvious in their runs, and there were a few disappointing ones, but High Octane gave us what we really wanted to see.
“He (High Octane) was definitely, if not the one, the eye-catching run out of the race (The Rosebud). I think everyone else was kind of a little bit obvious in their runs, and there were a few disappointing ones, but High Octane gave us what we really wanted to see.” - Colum McCullagh
“He made up a lot of ground late, and his late sectionals were also very, very good. We should see him come into full effect as we get him over a little bit further. At this stage, we’re tossing up a few different ideas with Henry Field on what way we go, but we’ll be looking to get him to the Run to the Rose and then onto the Golden Rose.
“Then we’ll toss up the idea of the Caulfield Guineas. If he’s looking for the mile and he’s strong over the seven furlongs in the Golden Rose, it’s a possibility. We always felt he’d have the pace for the Roman Consul and the Coolmore, but he’s probably showing now, as he’s starting to get really fit, that he’s more looking for that 1400 metres and maybe even a mile trip.”
High Octane | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
McCullagh also shared that last Saturday’s G3 Quezette S. winner, Drifting (Zousain), has come through her run well and is likely to return to Sydney for the G2 Furious S.
“She’s a very brilliant filly. Drifting has very good tactical speed. Her sectionals first-up down in Melbourne in the Quezette S. were through the roof. She has shown she can do it from behind and from the front.
“At this stage, we’ll probably keep her over those shorter trips. She’s not a gross filly; she’s quite athletic, so you’ve got to be a little bit mindful of that, taking into account that she’s only just turned three; she’s still very young. Luckily, Drifting hadn’t been overly taxed as a 2-year-old but was brilliant for the owners and everyone that supported us in getting involved in the filly when we bought her from the sales.
“At this stage, we’ll probably keep her (Drifting) over those shorter trips. She’s not a gross filly; she’s quite athletic, so you’ve got to be a little bit mindful of that, taking into account that she’s only just turned three; she’s still very young.” - Colum McCullagh
“It was a big thrill to get that Group 3 win as a 2-year-old in a Slipper lead-up, and luckily, we put to bed the temptation to go to the Golden Slipper with her. We’ve reaped the rewards first-up as a 3-year-old, and we’ve added to her price-tag as a broodmare now.
Drifting | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“We’ll keep her over shorter trips. There are a couple of options down in Melbourne, but currently, we will bring her back up to Sydney and look at contesting the Furious S. next with her.”
Commenting on Drifting’s versatility, McCullagh said, “For such a lightly raced young filly, she’s done a great job. She’s won a stakes race on a clockwise bend in Sydney. She’s had a run up the Flemington straight, where she’s placed in a stakes race, and now she’s won around an anticlockwise, tough track of Caulfield.
“She’s added some strings to her bow.”
Bodyguard a Coolmore Boy?
Bodyguard (I Am Invincible) burst onto the scene by winning the Listed Maribyrnong Trial S. in the spring and returned in the autumn to claim the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude (Colts and Geldings). He was considered a leading contender for the G1 Blue Diamond S., but was scratched by Racing Victoria vets.
“He had a little bit of an interrupted preparation when he won the Blue Diamond Prelude. He was a late scratching from the Blue Diamond on Victorian Vets' advice. He’s come back in really good order.
Bodyguard | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“We’ve just been taking our time with him, and all going well, we’ll see him resume in the Danehill or the Roman Consul, and then head on through to the Coolmore Stud S.”
The Yulong-raced colt, Media World (Written Tycoon), is another horse the stable holds in high regard. “He’s a Written Tycoon out of Meryl, who was raced by Francis and Christine Cook. They also bred Media World, and they have stayed in the ownership.
“He won the Clarendon S. at Hawkesbury last start, and was probably just doing that on raw ability as a 2-year-old. He’s the first foal out of the mare, so he probably just lacked a little bit of physical presence, but he’s really sprouted as a 3-year-old now, and we do believe there is a good race in him.”
The Snitzel filly, Sakima, a $1.25 million purchase by Snowden Racing, William Johnson Bloodstock (FBAA), and Trilogy Racing from the draft of Newgate Farm at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, will resume in Saturday’s G2 Silver Shadow S.
“We have Sakima racing this Saturday in the Silver Shadow. She’s going to hopefully go through the Princess Series. She’ll start in the Silver Shadow, then we’ll probably wait for the Tea Rose and hopefully get her to a Flight S. if we can.”
Exciting spring ahead
Several established stable stars are gearing up for an exciting spring campaign. Queen Of Dragons (Pierro), who won the G3 Kembla Grange Classic and finished fourth in the G1 Vinery Stud S., is among those preparing for the season. McCullagh shared, “She’s a full sister to Paris Dior and is raced by Trilogy Racing. She trialled super on Tuesday and will head to the Mona Lisa S. at Wyong, Sunday week, first-up.”
Queen Of Dragons | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
The G2 Expressway S. and Magic Millions Carnival star, King Of Sparta (I Am Invincible), is also set for a spring campaign with an eye on returning to the Gold Coast in January. “He is back in work. He will ultimately look to do another Gold Coast assault at the Magic Millions. But between now and then, we’ve always looked at setting him up for the Sydney S. on Everest Day. It’s a $2 million race over 1200 metres and a Group 3, so right up his alley. He’ll be just kept fresh, and we will hopefully target something like that.”
“He (King Of Sparta) is back in work. He will ultimately look to do another Gold Coast assault at the Magic Millions. But between now and then, we’ve always looked at setting him up for the Sydney S. on Everest Day.” - Colum McCullagh
The dual G1 Doomben Cup victor, Huetor (Fr) (Archipenko {USA}), has also returned to the stable. “He’s been a revelation for the stable in terms of purchasing and syndicating imports. He’s on a Caulfield Cup path, so fingers crossed we can get him there. Huetor raced through the winter, and unfortunately, he couldn’t make it a three-peat in the Doomben Cup this time around. We’ve kicked off the northerly box, so hopefully, we can get him down south and see how we go.”
Huetor (Fr) | Image courtesy of Michael McInally
Another import, Touristic (GB) (Frankel {GB}), is on a Caulfield Cup path and will resume on Saturday in the G3 Premier’s Cup. “Touristic is another horse who also races in the Francis and Christine (Cook) colours. He’s a Frankel, and he’s running this Saturday in the Premier Cup. He’s really come to hand well. He ran super in the Grafton Cup, finishing second up there. So, he’s starting to build a nice resume for himself and seems to have acclimatised this preparation. Touristic also holds a nomination for the Caulfield Cup. He needs to tick a few boxes before we look at a race like that for him, but we’ve always got to keep the door open.”
The progressive import, Unspoken (Ire) (Territories {Ire}), is on an Epsom H. path. “Unspoken, our Five Diamonds winner, is hopefully going to get to an Epsom. He probably lacked a little bit of lustre in his last preparation. However, if you go back to this time last year, he was picking them off like dominoes. Hopefully, he can get back to that sort of form. We know the talent the horse has got, and he holds a nomination for the Cox Plate as well.
“Unspoken, our Five Diamonds winner, is hopefully going to get to an Epsom... if you go back to this time last year, he was picking them off like dominoes. Hopefully, he can get back to that sort of form. We know the talent the horse has got, and he holds a nomination for the Cox Plate as well.” - Colum McCullagh
“If he can get back to the form he was in last spring, which is quite common with these imports because they don’t race all year round in the Northern Hemisphere, so you have to take that into account as something they adapt to. They are used to having a nice, long holiday before they’re asked to perform again. All signs are showing that he has come back in good shape, and we’ll look forward to getting him to the trials next Friday (30th).”
