After a busy week of buying, the brilliance of Ciaron Maher was on show at the Gold Coast on Saturday when he saddled up Snitzanova to win the $1 million Queensland Magic Millions Subzero (2200m) - a Snitzel bred to stay!
A Group 2 winner over 1600m as a three-year-old, the daughter of Snitzel was racing beyond 1800m for the first time in her career on Saturday but appeared to relish the extended trip.
She was the beneficiary of a brilliant ride from Zac Lloyd who, from barrier 13, tracked Group 1 winner and TAB second favourite You Wahng before running that mare down in the final 200m. Last Saturday's Magic Millions The Wave winner Miss Joelene closed nicely for third.
Snitzanova was a $200,000 yearling purchase by Victorian syndicator Nathan Bennett and Maher said it was a thrill to again combine with Bennett Racing for a lucrative feature win.
“That was beautiful,” Maher said.
“I was a bit worried about how the race was going to unfold because she can get on the bit and she pulled over 1800m last week.
“But she was a bit unlucky and monstered the line the other day.
“Zac gave her a beautiful ride today and with that decent tempo today, it was like mile pace so she actually dropped her head and relaxed.
“Bennett Racing are very good at picking their horses – Nath, Phil, Rick and their team do it very well.”
Lloyd was aboard for Snitzanova’s maiden win in October 2024 and praised the training performance of Maher to extend her winning record to 2200m as an older mare.
“It was a great training performance by Ciaron to get her to step up over 2200m,” Lloyd said.
I won her maiden over 1300m at Randwick.
“This could be her trip.
“It’s always a struggle with her to get her to relax but today was beautiful because I was able to get onto the back of You Wahng and she took me everywhere.
“My mare was very strong late.”
Snitzanova is a rare Snitzel bred to stay being from blue blood Galileo mare Albanilla (GB) and her third dam Alouette has spawned a massive dynasty of Group winning stayers for Lanwades Stud headed by Arc queen Alipinista with success in our part of the world for imported stayers such as Kingswood (GB) and Alalcance (GB).
Bennett Racing, who bought Snitzanova out of Arrowfield Stud’s draft at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, were active with nine purchases during Book 1 of this year’s auction.
Among them were Lot 821, an I Am Invincible colt from Emirates Park for $500,000, Lot 974, a Zoustar colt from Cressfield for $460,000 and Lot 926, a Stay Inside colt from Vinery Stud for $425,000.
