Snapper all the way in G3 Standish for Sir Patrick

Media Release - Saturday January 14

Three days after Sir Patrick Hogan was farewelled with a funeral service in Hamilton, the legendary New Zealand breeder’s influence was yet again felt in black-type company as Snapper scored a bold front-running victory in the Group III Standish Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday to become a new SW for his sire Power (GB).

Snapper takes out the Gr.3 Standish Handicap (1200m) at Flemington Photo Credit: Darryl Sherer

The A$250,000 sprint feature was the first stakes success for Snapper, who was bred by Sir Patrick in partnership with his wife Lady Justine Hogan. A son of Power and the stakes-placed One Cool Cat mare Onlyarose, Snapper was a $60,000 purchase by Paul Moroney Bloodstock and Ballymore Stables from Book 1 at Karaka 2019.

On Saturday he picked up the sixth win of his 22-start career and took his earnings past A$450,000, dominating the race from the front and kicking away again when challenged inside the final 200m. Despite rider Jye McNeil dropping his whip, the five-year-old gelding was comfortably holding his rivals at bay and won by three-quarters of a length.

“He had quite an easy time of it in front, and he got into a really good rhythm, which allowed us to do that,” McNeil said. “He was presented in great order today and raced accordingly.

“The connections were a little bit unsure about him down the straight here at Flemington today, so I had it in the back of my mind not to feel for him too soon.

“I ended up dropping my whip and making a bit of a mess of things near the end, but we got the number in the frame and that’s the main thing. By that point of the race, he was holding them very well anyway.”

Snapper is the 25th stakes-winner for Power (GB), who is now in Australia at Oaklands Stud.

Snapper is trained by trans-Tasman horseman Mike Moroney and began his career in New Zealand, where his three starts as a two-year-old included a placing behind Need I Say More in the Gr.3 Waikato Stud Slipper (1200m) at Matamata.

Advertisement

Transferred across the Tasman for his three-year-old season, Snapper scored back-to-back wins in February of 2021 and again in February and March of 2022. His first win as a five-year-old came during the Melbourne Cup carnival in early November, and Saturday’s stakes success has put him on a path towards even bigger things.

“That was a good effort,” assistant trainer Glen Thompson said. “He was a bit below par last time (seventh at Flemington on December 17), and Mike thought he might have been a little bit underdone. He had him spot on today.

“His work was enormous on Tuesday, and we’ve seen the best of him today. He won multiple races last preparation, and he’s come back very well this time.

“He’s well above average and is going to go through the grades and probably end up in better races than this.”

Snapper is the 25th stakes-winner for Power, who now stands in Australia at Oaklands Stud in Queensland.– NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment

Race Result - Standish Hcp Gr3 1200m

Flemington Track: Good(4) Time: 1:09.73
1
Snapper
- 5g Power (GB) x Onlyarose (NZ) (One Cool Cat (USA))
Tnr: M D Moroney Rdr: Jye McNeil 54
2
0.8
Rose Quartz
- 5m Written Tycoon (AUS) x Obsidian Dragon (AUS) (Hidden Dragon (AUS))
Tnr: G M Begg Rdr: H Coffey 54
3
1.6
Dawn Passage
- 6g Dawn Approach (IRE) x Raja Lane (AUS) (Devaraja (NZ))
Tnr: G Waterhouse & A Bott Rdr: C Newitt 54
4
2.2
Umgawa
- 4g Shamus Award (AUS) x Express Central (AUS) (Undoubtedly (AUS))
Tnr: L & T Corstens Rdr: Ethan Brown 54.5
5
3.0
Ocean Beyond
- 5g Ocean Park (NZ) x Frankly (NZ) (Pins (AUS))
Tnr: Andrew Bobbin Rdr: Ms L J Meech 54
6
4.2
Vespertine
- 5m Epaulette (AUS) x Sweet Nothings (AUS) (Falvelon (AUS))
Tnr: G M Begg Rdr: Jordan Childs 54.5
7
5.5
Western Empire
- 5g Iffraaj (GB) x Western Jewel (AUS) (Jeune (GB))
Tnr: J Leek Jnr Rdr: J Mott 59.5
8
5.6
Halvorsen
- 7g Magnus (AUS) x Flourishing (AUS) (Not A Single Doubt (AUS))
Tnr: R Griffiths & M De Kock Rdr: B Shinn 57
9
8.3
Crestani
- 5g Nicconi (AUS) x Cresta Condor (AUS) (Stratum (AUS))
Tnr: P G Carey Rdr: Dean Holland 54
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Thursday June 19
Here is the full list of 37 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Coolmore 2YO Domination at Royal Ascot
Coolmore continued their domination of the juvenile features at Royal Ascot overnight with an impressive win in the Group II Norfolk Stakes (5f) for Charles Darwin, the full brother to 2022 Champion European 2YO Colt Blackbeard.
Royal Ascot Day 3 – Record Smashed and Bluebloods
More glamour and galloping overnight at Royal Ascot with four Group races decided and the Coolmore juggernaut won three of them, but not the prized feature on the card, the Group I Ascot Gold Cup (2m4f) which was won in dazzling course record time.
Tassort 2YO Wins on Debut in NZ
Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray wouldn’t usually present a horse to the races without a trial, but that indicated how much they thought of Love The Sort, and she bolted in on debut at the Cambridge Synthetic on Wednesday.
Royal Ascot Day 2 – Godolphin Strike, Blueblood and Bargain
More action and excitement at Royal Ascot on Day 2 with a Godolphin late bloomer winning his first G1, JMac in the winners circle on a speedy squib turned miler and 2YO stakes races produced a blueblood filly and a bargain 9000 guinea colt, whose 'Havana' sireline is coming to Australia this spring.
One to Watch – Canterbury
There were some interesting maiden winners at Canterbury on Wednesday and they included the half-brother to Group II winner Stretan Angel who continued the current winning run for his young sire Brutal.
One to Watch – Gosford
Hawkesbury trainer Blake Ryan is known for sourcing nice yearlings and turning them over at the two year-old breeze up sales, but a Written Tycoon colt purchased from Inglis Easter for $425,000 has remained in the stable and made a winning debut at Gosford on Thursday.
Unbeaten Wootton Bassett Colt Wins G2 Queen’s Vase
A sire of rare versatility Wootton Bassett (GB) made his mark at Royal Ascot on Day 2 when his unbeaten three year-old colt Carmers made it three wins from as many starts in the Group II Queen’s Vase (1m6f).
Sires With Winners - Wednesday June 18
Here is the full list of 44 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Verry Elleegant’s Little Brother Breaks Maiden
Although he was always going to have big shoes to fill, being a brother to Melbourne Cup heroine Verry Elleegant, connections would be pleased to see 3yo gelding So Suave (Zed) return to scale as a winner in Wednesday’s Become A BRC Member Maiden Plate (2070m) at Doomben.