Shooting To Win brings up MM double with 2014 Caulfield Guineas win
Classy Sydney trained colt Shooting to Win sent his stud value soaring when he downed hot favourite Rich Enuff and scored a brilliant win in Saturday’s Group One $1 million Caulfield Guineas (1600m).
A runaway winner of the Stan Fox Stakes in Sydney at his previous run, Shooting to Win tracked the favourite throughout and proved too strong in the run to the line to win by a widening neck margin.
It was the first Group One win for Shooting to Win’s father-son training partnership of Peter and Paul Snowden.
Peter, when training for Darley, prepared two Guineas winners himself during a career that netted numerous wins at racing’s elite level.
With Peter remaining in Sydney for the day, the Caulfield celebrations at the milestone victory were led by son Paul.
“We didn’t think in our wildest dreams we would be winning a Caulfield Guineas within six months of starting training together.”
Shooting to Win, a son of former star galloper and sire Northern Meteor, was purchased by former trainer John O’Shea for $160,000 from the draft of Edinglassie Stud at the 2013 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
When Peter Snowden elected to leave as head trainer of Darley and start a partnership with his son, Shooting to Win’s purchaser and original trainer John O’Shea was appointed the head trainer for Sheikh Mohammed and his recently named Godolphin operation.
Shooting to Win needed a new trainer and his connections elected on the newly formed Snowden partnership. The rest they say is now history.
“He was just a very special horse from day one,” Snowden said. “You just knew he was good by the way he worked. His attitude was great.”
“He towels up Group One horses on the track and makes them look like mid-weekers.”
One of 11 outstanding stakes winners for Encosta de Lago’s ill fated sire son Northern Meteor, Shooting to Win is one of two named foals for the stakes winning Elusive Quality mare Listen Here.
A winner of the listed Pewsey Vale Stakes at Morphettville at two and twice a Melbourne winner at three, Listen Here is a half sister to the Singapore Group One performer Spectro Power.
Listen Here has two named foals – both sons of Northern Meteor.
The other is the unbeaten four-year-old and last start Sydney track record breaker Deep Field.
Shooting to Win completed a Group One Guineas double for Magic Millions graduates following the first class win of the Chris Waller trained Amicus in the half million dollar Thousand Guineas (1600m) just over half an hour earlier.
It was four feature wins on the Guineas card for Gold Coast purchases with Of the Brave winning the Debutant Stakes for Mark Riley and Rubick resuming with a sizzling win in the Group Two Schillaci Stakes for Gerald Ryan.
Winner: Shooting to Win
Breeding: Northern Meteor-Listen Here (Elusive Quality)
Race: MRC Caulfield Guineas G1 (1600m)
Sold for: $160,000
Sale: 2013 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Vendor: Edinglassie Stud (As Agent)
Buyer: John O’Shea Racing
Earnings: $898,225
Owner(s): TK Stuckey, Ms P Yan & Ms S Yan
Trainer(s): Peter & Paul Snowden (Randwick)
