Peter and Paul Snowden's first year of training could not have gone much better but there is still some work to do for the training partnership.
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A year ago Peter Snowden finished his time at Darley with a winning treble at Hawkesbury, including Aerobatics in the Darley Crown, and became a public trainer out of Randwick with his son Paul.
Even the quietly spoken Snowden has been amazed with the results. The winners tally stands at 77 for the Snowdens, with three group 1 victories, which have created stallion careers for Shooting To Win and Pride Of Dubai.
"You could not have asked for a better start and I didn't think it would go this well," Snowden said. "We have had a bit of luck in group 1s and have been blessed with a few really nice horses. To see Shooting To Win be retired to Darley is great but we are looking for the next one because we are just starting."
The success of the Snowden stable has been across the board and in the next couple of days they will have favourites at Wagga Wagga and Adelaide, while the Hawkesbury meeting gives further opportunity for success.
Gypsy Diamond, the last-start winner of the JRA Plate, heads to Friday's Wagga Cup to attempt to fulfil owner Ron Finnemore's desire to claim his home-town cup again and is the bookmakers' top pick at $3.60.
Snowden, a country boy himself, is as excited about that race as he is about Miracles Of Life starting favourite in the William Hill Classic at group 1 level at Morphettville on Saturday.
"[Gypsy Diamond] is going really well and it's a great time to go to Wagga with her because it will mean a lot for Ron to win that race," Snowden said.
"If you look at the form from the other day, Leebaz, which ran second, came out and franked it by winning a group 2 in Brisbane. She is going to get a good track down there and she will run a good race."
Snowden has horses going in all directions on the weekend and Miracles Of Life heads over to her old home-town to attempt to add another group 1 to her fairytale Blue Diamond win.
Snowden has only had her for four starts for first-up wins in the Caulfield Sprint in the spring and Challenge Stakes this time in. She added a third in The Galaxy to her resume and Snowden thinks this group 1 will really suit her. He decided to give her on a seven-week break and tuned her up for the trip with a Randwick barrier trial win on April 13.
"It is a nice race for her and the space between her races should work for. She is going very well at home and I think she is ready to handle the pressure of another group 1," he said.
Snowden will be back at Hawkesbury on Saturday, trying to add to his history in the Darley Crown – which he has won five times – with Rose Of Choice.
"She usually goes good first-up and gets through soft ground, which is going to be important," Snowden said. "Her owner [Keith Biggs] is coming over, and he will also hopefully be able to see Lucky Lago go round in the Hawkesbury Cup, where he is first emergency. We are tossing up whether to run another one of his, Proactive, in the Guineas or send him to Newcastle for a maiden."
Snowden will also have Hot Snitzel and Dothraki in the XXXX Gold Rush. Both are having their first start for the stable but with plenty of speed on, they could be suited.
"We are still learning about them but they will get their chance in a race like that because there will be a lot of pressure," he said.
