Team Snowden Posts First Winner With Tumult

The training partnership of Peter and Paul Snowden celebrated their first race win yesterday; with Tumult taking out the Blakes Marine Benchmark 65 Handicap at Hawkesbury.

Peter Snowden and son Paul recorded their first win in partnership with Tumult at Hawkesbury yesterday.

Peter Snowden and son Paul recorded their first win in partnership with Tumult at Hawkesbury yesterday. Photo by: Daniel Costello

Tumult was settled towards the tail of the field by jockey Joshua Parr in the early stages of the race and the rising hoop took the Exceed And Excel gelding to the outside of the field coming around the final turn.

The three-year-old joined the leaders, who were spread right across the track, at the 200 metre mark before storming clear in the final 100 metres to score a historic win from Opera Blue and Powerofperception.

Ironically, Tumult joined the stable of Team Snowden after being purchased at a Darley dispersal sale and Snowden said that both he and son Paul, who according to Peter celebrated like he had won the Melbourne Cup, were delighted to score their first win in partnership

“It was a minor race, but it was a significant thing for our partnership and it was good to break the ice and get on the board,” Snowden said.

“This particular horse was one that Darley sold at a dispersal sale recently and Scott Darby picked him up and was good enough to give him back to us.

“We knew a fair bit about the horse and it was a bonus to get a horse like him.”

Team Snowden were very active at the yearling sales that have been held right across the country this year and already had over 50 yearlings in their stable, but were also benefited by the fact that a number of horses previously trained by John O’Shea, who took over as Darley head trainer just under a fortnight ago, had remained at their Royal Randwick stable and joined the Snowden team.

Snowden said that the addition of a number of older horses was a boost to the new stable and revealed that he is enjoying his new role after settling into a new home as well as a new stable.

“When John O’Shea left a lot of his clients stayed behind and there are some older horses in the stable, which is good,” Snowden said.

“We have quite a few older horses in the stable, which is good because they are up and running now and the yearlings that we have on board take about 12 to 18 months in the system and they are a work in progress.

“The numbers are definitely smaller in the team, but I am really enjoying it.

“It has been a tough few weeks moving house and moving into a new stable, but it is starting to come together now.

“A day like yesterday is a great way to kick things off and gets things up and running and have everybody in a good frame of mind.”

Team Snowden will not have any runners at the metropolitan meetings at Scone and Brisbane this weekend, but is planning to send Lucky Lago to Brisbane for the Group 2 Dane Ripper Stakes (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 7.

About The Author

Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.