Perast Leads Home a 1-2 for Snitzel in Caulfield Guineas Prelude

Mark Smith - Sunday October 1

Newcastle based trainer Paul Perry has an unmatched record of pulling off a shock or two in Melbourne and he did it again in Sunday's $175,000 Group III Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m) with the Snitzel colt Perast.

Winless in six starts since opening his career with a win at Scone, Perast responded to hard riding by Damian Lane to defeat another son of Snitzel, Summer Passage by a length with the fast-finishing Lonhro colt Kementari a head back in third. (photo Darryl Sherer). 

Advertisement


Meeting defeat for the first time, the favourite Royal Symphony came home well to finish third without ever looking a winning chance.

"It probably took me the first 500 to get him to switch off, but once he did he was great, he got around the corner well, he lugged in a touch in the straight but he was too good," Lane said.

"It was a big run last week and to back-up eight days later was a good effort."

Perast started at $101 when a surprise third in the Group II Run To The Rose at Rosehill on September 9 before finishing seventh in last weeks Group I Golden Rose won so impressively by another son of Snitzel, Trapeze Artist.

Trainer Paul Perry said it was all systems for the Caulfield Guineas.

"He is a nice colt and he has come down here very solid in condition," Perry said.

"He has run in a couple of Group 1 races at home and I thought he would run well today.

"His run the other day was good in the Golden Rose.

"They went very hard in that race and he was attacked all the way.

"I think the mile will suit him much better than today, I think he will go even further than that."

"The way he is bred, he is out of a Zabeel mare, and I can only see him improving."


Carrying the colours of Frank Cook, Perast was a $100,000 purchase by his trainer from the Maluka Thoroughbreds draft at the 2016 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.

He is the seventh foal of Zabeel's Listed SAJC St Leger winner Thousand Veils.

 A daughter of the Group III placed Success Express mare Forever Dancing, Thousand Veils missed to High Chaparral in 2014 and to Smart Missile in 2015. She was covered by Smart Missile again last spring.

Perast becomes the 70th stakes winner for the unstoppable Snitzel who stands at Arrowfield Stud at a fee of $176,000 in 2017. 

Advertisment
More Reading...
Yes Yes Yes It’s Been a Big Week for Kate Nivison!
This time last week passionate owner breeder Kate Nivison was basking in the success of having bred and sold a $1.7million Extreme Choice colt at Inglis Easter and today she was enjoying a different sort of success as a winning owner at Kembla.
FBAA Professional Development Day- Food for Thought
The Federation of Bloodstock Agents Australia’s third Continued Professional Development Day was again held at Randwick Racecourse on Tuesday 8th April 2025 and was hosted by MC Vin Cox.
Arrowfield Announce 2025 Fees
In the wake of his third Golden Slipper winner and his career-best yearling sale results, multiple Champion Sire Snitzel heads the 2025 Arrowfield stallion roster at an unchanged fee of $247,500, while Castelvecchio has earned a deserved fee increase.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday April 15
Here is the full list of 27 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
One to Watch – Kembla
The juvenile maiden at Kembla on Tuesday was an intriguing affair featuring a number of well-bred and very expensive colts on debut, but the winner was a stylish first starter filly by Capitalist that broke 56 seconds for her debut win.
Switzerland To Stand Alongside Fellow Coolmore Stud Stakes Winner Home Affairs at Jerry’s Plains
Following on from a phenomenal year in the sales ring, which saw first crop Home Affairs yearlings sell for an aggregate of more than $31 million, fellow Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Switzerland will join him in the stallion barn in 2025.
Little Avondale Announce Fees - Little Brose New
Little Avondale Stud created a slice of New Zealand racing history when they successfully brokered a deal to stand Little Brose at their Wairarapa farm.
Pedigree Watch – Euro 3YO - Classic Potential
Interesting racing overnight at Newmarket with a couple of Classic key lead up stakes races for three year-olds and the winners were both first time stakes-winners, one from the family of Sydney autumn carnival staying star Alalcance and the other a homebred Dubawi filly for Juddmonte.
Belclare Seeking to Find Best Form Back in Australia
Dual Group One winner Belclare’s return home for a three-race campaign didn’t go to plan earlier this year, and now she is back on the other side of the Tasman to try and get her preparation back on track.
Who Do You Pick? Star Mares of Tomorrow
In chatting with our guest Jim Clarke this week on our Tara Talks Racing podcast we discussed a topic that will no doubt spark plenty of interest from our audience, if you could have one three year-old filly to take forward and race next season at four, who would it be?