The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Ranges left it until late in life for his first stakes win, which came in Saturday's Listed Maker's Mark Hinkler Hcp at Eagle Farm.
Ridden by Tommy Berry, the 5yo son of Shooting To Win held the challenge of Simply Fly (Spirit Of Boom) by a half-length with Mass Destruction (Spirit Of Boom) three-quarters of a length back in third.
The Triple Crown colour-bearer was tested for the first time in stakes company at his previous start when third in the Listed Ortensia Stakes at Scone.
"Who would have thought, twelve months ago last Sunday, he raced at Muswellbrook and won the Aberdeen Cup, so that's how far he's come," Paul Snowden said.
"The older he's got the better he's got.
"It was a really good return for him at Stakes level the other day at Scone. I thought he was going to have improvement off the back of that, and he was always going to map well to get the lovely run.
"He hit the front a little bit too soon here. He had to make his own run into it without anything to cart him into it. So, he was a little bit of a sitting duck late, but that's what he has got, a ton of tenacious ability, and he fought them off.
"We’ve got the Healy (Stakes) in a couple of weeks, and off the back of that it’s not beyond him.”
Pinhooked for $100,000 from the Rothwell Park draft at the 2017 National Weanling Sale, Ranges was bought by Triple Crown Syndications for $140,000 from the Baramul Stud draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
We have mentioned several times that Triple Crown’s Chris and Michael Ward have significantly benefitted by not having a prejudice against older mares. No better example of that than the $16.4 million earner Redzel.
Ranges is the ninth foal of the highly talented Octagonal mare I Believe, who won four of her five starts. She struck gold with her second foal, the Joe Pride-trained speedball Rain Affair, a triple Group II winner and four-time Group 1 placed son of Commands.
Ranges is not in the same class, but he has proved to be a reliable money-spinner for connections with a record of seven wins, seven seconds, and ten thirds from 33 starts with earnings of $430,735.
I Believe has not had a foal since the winning 3yo Flying Artie colt Preach.
Ranges is the sixth stakes-winner for the former Darley Stud resident Shooting To Win, who holds a special place in the hearts of the Snowdens as he credited the partnership with their first Group 1 win in the 2014 Caulfield Guineas.
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