From the only Australian crop of Deep Impact’s royally related son Real Steel (JPN), Scheelite has solid claims in Saturday’s Group 1 Caulfield Guineas and write another chapter in the success of descendants of Denise’s Joy. Still, we will travel north to Randwick, where another member of the clan is making his stakes debut.
The Chris Waller-trained three-year-old Snowman is the veteran of six starts, half of which have been at Kembla Grange.
The son of Snitzel found a hot maiden to make his career debut when beaten less than two lengths when fifth behind his star stablemate Militarize over 1200m at Canterbury in February.
He finished in the same spot behind his $3,000,000 stablemate Kandinsky Abstract over the same course and distance 13 weeks later, bringing the curtain down on his juvenile season.
Snowman made a winning start to his classic season over 1400m at Kembla but was beaten at his next two starts on the track, the latter behind stablemate Riff Rocket.
He met Riff Rocket again in a $100,000m super maiden over 1800m in a midweek at Rosehill and comprehensively turned the tables on the son of American Pharoah (USA) by two and a quarter lengths.
Riff Rocket franked the form in last Saturday’s Listed Super Impose Stakes at Flemington when thumping the field by upwards of five and a half lengths.
Snowman makes the quantum leap to Group company in Saturday's Group III Gloaming Stakes (1800m) at Randwick ina field of promising young stayers.
A $650,000 purchase for Chris Waller Racing/Mulcaster Bloodstock from the Strawberry Hill Stud draft at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Snowman is a three-quarter-brother to stakes-placed Joyous Legend.
An $800,000 purchase for Bon Ho’s Legend Racing from the Strawberry Hill draft at the 2020 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Joyous Legend (Snitzel) failed to live up to her early promise though claimed valuable black-type when placing in the Group II Percy Sykes Stakes Listed Mick Dittman Plate.
While Joyful Legend was purely a sprinter, Snowman has improved considerably as the distances stretch out.
A daughter of the outstanding More Joyous, Joyous Legend had her first foal, a son of Zoustar, on October 1.
Snowman is the first foal of More Joyous’ first foal, the Frankel mare Woman, where he undoubtedly inherited a degree of stamina.
Woman created a deal of excitement when she won on debut at Canterbury, but the best she could do in three subsequent starts was two thirds before heading to the broodmare paddocks.
A racemare of the highest class, More Joyous carved out a record of 21 wins, one second and two thirds from 33 starts for owner John Singleton and trainer Gai Waterhouse.
Her top-level successes came in the ATC Doncaster Handicap, ATC Queen of the Turf Stakes (twice), MRC Toorak Handicap, MRC Futurity Stakes, ATC Queen Elizabeth Stakes, AJC Flight Stakes, and AJC George Main Stakes. She also won the Surround Stakes and the Canterbury Stakes (twice) before those were upgraded to Group 1.
The daughter of More Than Ready (USA) represents an unbroken line of four Group 1 winners. Her dam, Sunday Joy (Sunday Silence), won the 2003 AJC Australian Oaks; granddam Joie Denise (Danehill) won the 1995 QTC Queensland Oaks; and great-granddam Denise’s Joy (Seventh Hussar) won the 1975 VRC Oaks Stakes, 1976 QTC Queensland Oaks, and VRC Turnbull Stakes.
Woman now graces the paddocks of Yulong Stud after selling for $575,000, in foal to Home Affairs, at the recent Strawberry Hill Stud Unreserved Dispersal. Orchard Hill snapped up Woman’s filly foal by Fastnet Rock for $100,000.
Yulong also took home More Joyous for $450,000 (she missed to I Am Invincible last spring) and More Joyous’ So You Think yearling colt for $300,000.
