Vale, Snowdrift

Tara Madgwick - Wednesday March 13
The passing of a successful sire invariably makes news headlines but no less worth reflecting on is the loss of a blue hen.

Snowdrift at CressfieldLeading Hunter Valley nursery Cressfield have reported the sad passing of their star broodmare Snowdrift (Fr), who was euthanized last Sunday and buried next to another star producer in Palia.

Imported to Australia in 1998, the French bred Snowdrift started her stud career for Stratheden Stud and proved an immediate success with her first foal being a strapping son of Snippets that made $90,000 at the Magic Millions when snapped up by Gooree Stud.

He would race as Snowland and trained by Gai Waterhouse won nine races and over $1.1 million in prizemoney with the Group I ATC The Galaxy his highlight victory.

Her next three foals were all Black Type horses with stakes-placed Freeze and Snowden split by another stakes-winner in Snippetson.

Snowdrift changed hands twice in the sale ring at the Inglis Broodmare Sale, selling for $1,500,000 in 2005 when bought by Tyreel Stud and then again in 2010 when Keiran Moore purchased her as a 17 year-old for Cressfield for $775,000.

In latter years, she produced a string of expensive yearlings including the Red Ransom (USA) filly Portillo, who made $850,000 at Inglis Easter to the bid of Woodlands Stud and emerged as a multiple Group I placed Group II winner before finding success at stud for Godolphin as the dam of brilliant Group II winner Ghisoni.

Snowdrift produced 14 foals of which 11 raced and nine won, so it's been a long and successful stud career with her best sale ring a result a colt by Redoute's Choice that made $2.5 million in 2008 for Tyreel Stud when bought by Darley.

"This picture (above)  was taken with her second last foal at foot when she was 21 years young," said Cressfield Stud Manager Liesl Baumann.

"She then went straight back in foal to deliver a Snitzel colt the following year after which she was retired to live out her days at Cressfield.

Snowdift pictured at Inglis in 2010"She was paddock mates with Champagne for a long time before frailty saw her needing a slower quieter paddock friend and lived out her days with our lovely mare Personify."

Cressfield are hoping the Snowdrift family can deliver another sale ring success at the upcoming Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

"We acquired Snowdrift in foal to Red Ransom in 2010 as a 17yr old and she foaled a filly that spring which we retained called Adelie," Baumann said.

"Adelie has a Redoute's Choice filly catalogued in the upcoming Easter sale asLot 349. Snowdrift not only produced wonderful racehorses, she was also incredibly fertile, producing five more foals for us before being retired."






Advertisment
More Reading...
2026 Golden Slipper Entries – Sortable, Sale Mail – Find Out More
The new season is nearly upon us and that means all over the country a new crop of rising two year-olds are taking baby steps in the best stables in the land with the Australian Turf Club announcing this week they had received 1927 entries for the 2026 Golden Slipper, so who is in the race?
Sires With Winners - Friday July 4
Here is the full list of 38 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Invincible 3YO Wins G3 Winx Guineas
The $300,000 Group III Winx Guineas (1600m) at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday featured a big field of 16 up and comers and following the late scratching of favourite Mister Bianco, Angela Jones took luck out of the equation on I Am Invincible gelding The Three Hundred.
New Juvenile Stakes-Winner Wootton Bassett
A two year-old Wootton Bassett  colt bred to stay, Daytona made it two wins as many starts when scoring a dominant win in the Listed Pat Smullen Stakes (1m) at Naas in Ireland overnight.
Sword Poised to Strike
When the first crop yearlings by a young stallion are well received and go into the right stables that’s always a good sign and then a few months after that is when things start to get really interesting.
Divine Prophet’s Fortunate Kiss Captures Elusive Black Type Win
With nine top five finishes in previous black type races, it was better late than never as 6yo Divine Prophet mare Fortunate Kiss charged along the inside to win the $300,000 Listed Glasshouse Handicap (1400m) at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday – her first black type victory.
Lisa Kennedy Recognized for Thoroughbred Welfare
Lisa Kennedy has always had a passion for thoroughbreds, and her efforts in guiding retired racehorses into new careers through EventStars were celebrated at Entain’s Industry Excellence Awards last Sunday as the winner of the Care and Welfare Excellence Award.
Dubawi Colt from $US8million Mare Wins G1 Coral Eclipse for Coolmore
Blueblood Dubawi colt Delacroix was a beaten favourite in the Group I Epsom Derby when unplaced behind his stablemate Lambourn, but he found his time to shine overnight when scoring a miraculous last to first win in the Group I Coral Eclipse Stakes (1m2f) at Sandown.
Flemington Victory for Tarzino Mare
Quirky but talented mare Miss Tarzy has come from last win the Leilani Series Final (1400m) under a patient Jett Stanley ride.
Sweet Redemption for Stable Favourite Jimmy the Bear
Patrick and Michelle Payne enjoyed a red letter day at Flemington on Saturday with their rising star Buccleuch winning the Listed VRC Taj Rossi Series Final and then later in the day stable favourite Jimmy the Bear won the Listed VRC Winter Championship Series Final (1600m).