Denman's Secret Trail Opens Stakes account

Mark Smith - Saturday May 19

Peter and Paul Snowden's well-travelled 5yo mare Secret Trail scored a career highlight win in Saturday's Bright Shadow Quality (1200m) at Doomben.

In her last five starts, the daughter of Denman has started at Randwick, the Gold Coast, Rosehill, Caulfield and Doomben.

Carrying the colours of Triple Crown Syndications, Secret Trail held tough for Ron Stewart to defeat Crystal Fountain (Stravinsky) by a short-neck with O'Rachael (Northern Meteor) one and a quarter length back in third.

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It advances the record of Secret Trail to 5 wins, 3 seconds and 3 thirds from 24 starts with earnings of $503,871.


"She's limited but she runs to her best and tries so hard," Peter Snowden told AAP.

"Ronnie gave her a perfect ride. He's ridden all around the world and I was pleased to have him aboard today because he has plenty of talent."

"There's an old saying, the harder you try the more luck you get and to her credit she always runs well but often draws bad gates or gets on the wrong part of the track.

"You need everything to go right with these types of horses and today she got a gun run and Ronnie rode her to her strengths because she's only got a short, sharp sprint."

Bred by Asco International, Secret Trail was consigned to the 2014 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale by Element Hill where she was knocked down to Champion Thoroughbreds for $120,000.

She is the first foal of the winning Secret Savings mare Trail Of Secrets who is a half-sister to Group 1 ARC Railway Handicap winner Gold Trail (Hussonet).

Trail Of Secrets was sold by Elements Hill to Paul Willetts Bloodstock for $150,000 at the 2015 National Broodmare sale when carrying a filly by Pierro.

Her yearling filly by Unencumbered was sold for $72,000 at this year's Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.

After missing to Unencumbered in 2016, Trail Of Secrets was covered by Exceed And Excel last spring.

Secret Trail becomes the ninth stakes-winner for Darley Stud's Denman who will stand in 2018 at a fee of $8,800.

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