It is horses like Unspoken (IRE) that see scores of Australians make the annual pilgrimage to the Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale.
Unspoken wins the $2million Five Diamonds - image Steve Hart
In association with William Johnson Bloodstock, Snowden Racing signed the docket for 170,000gns to secure the rising 4-year-old son of Territories (IRE) from the Jamie Railton (Agent) draft in 2022.
When trained by Ralph Beckett, Unspoken won races at Nottingham and Chester from five starts at two. In three starts in a delayed 3-year-old season, Unspoken won a class 3 at Doncaster by a nose on a heavy track a month before his sale.
At Rosehill on Saturday, Unspoken made it four consecutive wins for Peter and Paul Snowden and banked the winner's cheque of 1,155,000 in the $2million Five Diamonds (1800m).
With Tom Sherry in the saddle, the 5-year-old gelding came three-wide around the home turn and in a driving finish, defeated the Zoustar gelding Zoumon by a head with the Jakkalberry gelding Detonator Jack a neck back in third.
After three consecutive wins at Randwick, Unspoken advanced his record to seven wins, two second and a third from 16 starts with earnings of $1,480,703.
"It's been a really solid preparation from him, he's unbeaten," Paul Snowden said.
"This is his second preparation here in Australia and to see what he has done this time through. We've kept him at a mile but he'll get a lot further than this, he could end up in a Caulfield Cup next year."
"Tommy couldn't hold him slow enough. He came to the half-mile and he half popped out and I said to myself 'don't go too early' but he had to let him go. It was a good effort."
"We pushed him out in distance last prep and this is where the acclimatisation comes in, he just wasn't ready. He wasn't putting it all together on race day.
Unspoken a 170,000gns graduate of the 2022 Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale
"At home he's a lovely, relaxed animal but this prep has been a completely different kettle of fish. He led the other day and I never thought he had that in him twelve months ago, but everything is clicking.
"In the last three years we've dabbled (with imports) and the key is to get them before they are exposed. We try to get them on that low base rating. It's too hard when you pay big money for an already exposed horse and try to get them over here to perform at that level. We've still got room to move, we've got big plans for this horse and hopefully he can reach them."
A €95,000 purchase for Yeomanstown Stud at the 2019 Goffs November Foal Sale, Unspoken was bred by Roland Alder, who also bred the hugely popular Gordon Lord Byron, the 2014 ATC George Ryder Stakes hero.
Unspoken half-brother to Sparkle'n'joy (IRE), an Irish-bred son of Sepoy, was a Listed winner at Leopardstown before his tragic death at two.
Unspoken's dam, Silent Secret (Dubai Destination), is a half-sister to dual Group III winner Cheyenne Star (Mujahid), the granddam of Group 1 St James's Palace Stakes winner Barney Roy.
Silent Secret's unraced half-sister Boa Estrela is the dam of the triple Group 1 winning world traveller, Gordon Lord Byron.
