No surprise that an import captured Saturday’s $1,000,000 Group 1 Doomben Cup (2100m) at Eagle Farm, but it was a surprise it was not the defending champion Zaaki (GB).
In a memorable forty minutes for Peter and Paul Snowden, the progressive Archipenko gelding Huetor (FR) was aided by a rails hugging ride by Kerrim McEvoy to put paid to Zaaki (GB) at the 200m before holding the fast-finishing Galileo entire Maximal (GB) by a long-neck.
Zaaki (GB) was a further one and a quarter lengths back in third.
A winner of two of his eight starts in France, Huetor (FR) has been a model of consistency in his adopted homeland with four wins from six starts.
“He’s been working up to a performance like this today,” Paul Snowden said.
“He takes a little bit of racing to get him there. This preparation has been at a very high level whereas last prep, he came through his grades and just picked them off one by one.
“He’s won four races like this. They all leave the fence, and he comes up the fence. It was pretty to watch.
“These city (Sydney) horses coming up here, they don’t know what they are on because they’ve been trudging through the mud the last three months. They are relishing the conditions today, that’s for sure.”
“Full credit to Will Johnson and Colum McCullagh, our Racing Manager. They do a great job. They sourced him out as they do all of our European horses. Full credit goes to them.
“He will have his next start in the Q22”
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.
