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).
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
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.
