By Bren O'Brien
A fast-finishing debut victory at Warwick Farm from Smart Image (Smart Missile) has Peter and Paul Snowden assessing their future options with the 2-year-old colt.
Smart Image surged late under strong riding from Kerrin McEvoy in the Sky Racing Active Plate over 1200 metres to claim Beyliks (Lonhro) in the final stride and give the Snowdens their 33rd victory in a 2-year-old race this season.
The colt first trialled back in November and then again in March before convincing the father and son training partnership to give him a shot at the races after two recent trial wins at Randwick.
Smart Image as a yearling
The son of G3 Sweet Embrace S. winner Shared Reflections (Umatilla {NZ}) is owned by a syndicated headed by Triple Crown Syndications and is far from the fully furnished article according to Paul Snowden.
"Pre-race we were thinking he was going to do a lot wrong, as he has through his trials. We just wanted to have a good day and get something out of it race to race," Snowden said.
"That's what we want to do, to get him to the races and have that experience he needs. Kerrin was a big part of that. We were lucky enough to have him on today and he helped him through it."
"Kerrin was a big part of that. We were lucky enough to have him on today and he helped him through it." - Paul Snowden
The race didn’t begin as planned, but McEvoy kept making ground through inside horses until the run presented itself, as he nabbed the Godolphin colt Beyliks late, with the Brad Widdup-trained Free State (Headwater) another 4.5l back in third.
"He was a bit slow to jump. He was going to lay up a pair closer than what he did, but you could see he had plenty to offer on the corner and once he built up inside them, he hit the line, which was good to see," Snowden said.
Smart Image, who cost $100,000 from the Newgate Farm draft at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, will likely have another run before the Snowdens plot his path further forward.
"His head's still a little bit everywhere and so it wouldn't hurt to give him another run and speed that process up of giving him a bit more education and get him to apply his trade. He has still got a bit more to offer, we just have to get that out of him," he said.
The Snowdens had a good day, with Signore Fox (Exceed And Excel) winning the Listed Ramornie H. at Grafton, his third win at stakes level.
It was the eighth win of Signore Fox's 25-start career and takes his prizemoney over the $500,000 mark.
Jeff Penza got him through late to defeat Godolphin gelding Haunted (Lonhro) by 0.5l, with Jonker (Spirit Of Boom) another 0.4l away in third.
Toyetic shines at Sandown
Another 2-year-old colt with strong future prospects is the Anthony Freedman-trained Toyetic (Sebring), who also broke his maiden over 1200 metres in the Ladbrokes Odds Boost H. at Sandown.
Having his second start in a race, Toyetic, who started a $2 favourite, negotiated his way through the field to finish well and defeat Yulong Island (Exceed And Excel), with Black Penn (Written Tycoon).
He is a brother to Group 2-winning pair Seaburge and Catch A Fire out of the family of Group 1 winners La Volta (Laranto) and Mighty Boss (Not A Single Doubt) and cost Dean Hawthorne $300,000 at last year's Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Toyetic as a yearling
Stable spokesman Sam Freedman said the expectations were strong on Toyetic and it was good to see him get his breakthrough win.
"We were sweating there or a little bit, hoping he could finish off strong. It was good to see him hit the front. He had a little bit of a look around and there seems to be more there under the bonnet," he said.
"We think he's above average. In time, he might end up in winkers or blinkers. He should get out to a mile, maybe further. As a rising 3-year-old, there should be some nice races for him in the spring."
Toyetic will probably head to the paddock for a brief break before being targeted at better races in the spring.
"We will probably give him short break and give him his chance in the spring," Freedman said. "Jonathan Munz is a great supporter of ours and he wants to own nice horses, hopefully this guy can be one of those.
Toyetic was bred by GSA Bloodstock out of Polska (Encosta De Lago), who cost $1.6 million at the 2017 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, and has had a pair of Snitzel fillies the past two seasons. She is now in foal to Dundeel (NZ).
