Star Of Africa is being aimed at the $2 Million Gold Coast Magic Millions Guineas after the colt made a determined winning debut at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.
The $300,000 yearling purchase had four trials in preparation for his first race start and didn't disappoint, showing good resolve to hit the line strongly after having no luck and being caught three-wide in the run.
Despite covering extra ground, Hugh Bowman didn't panic and let Star Of Africa ($3.90) get into his rhythm, before leaving it to the final furlong to ask for the supreme effort.
The son of More Than Ready responded gamely to hold off the challenge of Kristen Buchanan's Invincible Gangsta ($31) by three-quarters of a length, with another length back to Anthony and Edward Cummings' November Man ($9.50).
"It was very good to see him hit the line the way he did, he didn't have any favours," Paul Snowden, who trains in partnership with his father Peter said.
"He's a horse that does look around, we were aiming up to sort of get that sweet spot, sort of fourth or fifth and give him something to run down.
"I do feel he's got a lot of upside to him. He's going to get better as the races progress and get a little bit further.
"He's a Magic Millions horse and that's definitely a target for him if he's good enough."
Paul Snowden was confident that the three-year-old would derive great benefit from the race day experience.
"He needs to learn his craft, you've seen him run around a little bit today, Hughie only asked him for an effort in the last hundred or furlong," he said.
"He did everything right to that mark and then he sort of wandered around late. That'll come in time.
"He's put his head up, he's had a bit of a look around but he was still too good.
"He's going to learn a lot more from today."
The Snowden stable last tasted Magic Millions success in 2016 when subsequent Golden Slipper winner Capitalist took out the $2 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic.
