Snazzytavi Sidelined with Virus

Media Release - Thursday February 6

Illness is likely to sideline Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall’s top quality mare Snazzytavi until later in the year.

Cambridge Stud’s star performer was being prepared for a crack at Saturday’s Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa before the five-year-old daughter of Tavistock contracted a virus.

Snazzytavi has been ruled out of Saturday's Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) after contracting a virus.   Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)

“I’d say that her autumn is over, which means we’ll give her a good break and focus on the spring,” Cambridge Stud chief executive Henry Plumptre said.

“She had a gallop on Tuesday morning and Warren Kennedy went down to ride her.

“He was very happy with her, but within hours it was noticed that her demeanour was different and they took her temperature and she had a very aggressive virus.

“We sent her up to Matamata Hospital as a precaution and she’s under treatment for the virus and is responding very well and is stabilised.

“She’s in very good hands and, fingers crossed, she’ll be back at our Karaka farm early next week to spell.”

By Tavistock, Snazzytavi would have started a short-priced favourite in the Herbie Dyke off the back of her stellar run of form.

She romped to victory in the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) in the spring before a break and then successfully resumed in the Gr.2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m) and last time out claimed the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2000m).

Advertisement

In her absence, the stud’s black type hopes at Te Rapa will rest with the Lance Noble-trained Luberon who takes on a stacked line-up in the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m).

“We’ve always had a very big opinion of her, but she is in a very strong race and I think it’s one of the highest rated sprint races in New Zealand for a long time,” Plumptre said.

The well-performed daughter of Embellish is a multiple stakes winner and a bold last-start third in the Gr.1 Telegraph after racing wide without cover from an outside stall and will again jump from a potentially awkward gate.

“Luberon doesn’t seem capable of drawing inside barrier nine or 10, but she is a very game and genuine mare,” Plumptre said.

“She will be competitive, and she’s got her regular jockey (Warren Kennedy) back on because Crocetti isn’t running and it will be exciting to see how she goes.”

Kennedy will also carry the farm’s colours aboard the Stephen Marsh-prepared I’m All In who runs in the Dr John Southworth Memorial Vase (1200m).

“He’s been there or thereabouts, he probably wasn’t quite up to the level in the Almanzor Trophy (Gr.3, 1200m) but he looks well-placed on Saturday and he’s tough,” Plumptre said.

The son of Zoustar, whose half-brother by Sword Of State sold for $540,000 at Karaka, has won twice from a handful of starts and placed in the Gr.3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) during the winter. – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
Snazzytavi Seeking More G1 Success for Cambridge Stud
Top mare Snazzytavi is ready to kick off her summer campaign, which will revolve around further Group One weight-for-age opportunities.
G1 Mare Snazzytavi Battling Laminitis
Cambridge Stud are hoping Snazzytavi will continue to draw on all her fighting qualities to win out in her battle against illness.
Cambridge Stud Celebrate G1 Success with Snazzytavi
A trophy that slipped through Brendan and Jo Lindsay’s grasp in their early days of racehorse ownership now has pride of place in the Cambridge Stud trophy cabinet, thanks to a stunning coming-of-age performance by Snazzytavi in Saturday’s Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) at Te Rapa.
NZB Breeze Up Footage Now Available to View Online
The highly anticipated Breeze Up videos for NZB’s 2025 Ready to Run Sale are now available to view online at nzb.co.nz.
Good News Week for Geisel Park
Geisel Park’s black-type mare Laced Up Heels is in foal off a maiden cover to Champion Australian Sire Zoustar and an orphan foal has found a new mum.
Second Wootton Bassett Son Added to Coolmore Stallion Roster for 2026
Set to join Camille Pissarro as the second G1 winning son of Wootton Bassett on the stallion roster for Ireland in 2026 is Henri Matisse, who this time last year was about to claim his first G1 victory at the Breeders Cup meeting at Del Mar.
Coolmore Favs get the Flemington Straight Experience in Jump Outs
Beiwacht, Beadman and Skyhook, three of the top four in the market for next month’s Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes had a jump out down the Flemington straight on Friday with Beadman quite the eye-catcher.
Sires With Winners - Thursday October 23
Here is the full list of 26 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Snazzytavi wins G1 Zabeel Classic for Cambridge Stud
This year’s phenomenal rise of Snazzytavi was fittingly capped off in the Gr.1 Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic (2000m) on Boxing Day, but another star mare didn’t let her away with an easy victory in the Ellerslie feature.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Rosehill
The Rosehill trials on Friday morning featured a couple of juvenile heats and both winners came out of the Widden Stud draft at Magic Millions with one topping the sale at $2.8million and the other selling for a modest $150,000.