Cover image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
“It was interesting because when I purchased her as a yearling I actually thought she would make a lovely Oaks horse believe it or not,” Brad Spicer told TDN AusNZ. “I remember telling a few friends: ‘I think I have just bought a future Oaks horse here’. She had a lovely scope and a lovely leg to her.”
Being out of a Galileo (Ire) mare Snapdragon, Spicer thought that would have injected a touch of stamina into the pedigree which has speed on the sire side, with the 5-year-old being by the late top-flight sprinter Choisir.
“I thought with the Galileo aspect, she would get over a little further, but I am glad the team worked it out pretty soon and we are there now which is terrific,” said Spicer. "Horses can make mugs of us all that’s for sure, there is no rule to all this unfortunately."
Brad Spicer | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
A winner at 1200 metres as a 3-year-old, Snapdancer has run consistently well throughout her career, but this campaign has seen her really furnish into a top-class performer, kicking off her campaign with a win in the Magic Millions Fillies & Mares' H. before backing up that performance in the G3 Triscay S. ridden on both occasions by James McDonald.
“She has grown and strengthened this season, she is just so strong and brilliant,” said Spicer. “James McDonald actually mentioned she is just more brilliant this campaign and said we should maybe keep her at the shorter trips, which has clearly done the trick.”
“She (Snapdancer) has grown and strengthened this season, she is just so strong and brilliant.” - Brad Spicer
However, she entered Saturday’s Group 1 looking for redemption after failing to shine in the G1 Newmarket H. on March 12, but Spicer said he was willing to forgive the out of character lacklustre display from the mare.
“Nothing went right for her in the Newmarket. She was drawn out wide and they ran the first 600 metres the quickest in history and they just got it wrong,” he explained. “She was just on the wrong side of the track and every horse on our side just failed out there, so we just put that run behind her and tried again.”
After that race, Spicer said co-trainer Dave Eustace was keen to put her in the paddock but Snapancer has proven to be a mare who enjoys long stretches in between runs and he convinced the trainer to give her short break and return in time for 1200 metre Group 1 at Morphettville
“Luckily, he listened and we tried the plan and I’m glad it worked,” said Spicer.
Snapdancer returns to scale after winning the G1 Robert Sangster S. at Morphettville | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
Spicer said the mare has plenty of options, but he will be leaving the race planning up to Maher and Eustace.
“Ciaron and Dave will make the decision about where we go next - I might be inclined to send her to the paddock, but we will see how she pulls up. The original plan was to go to the Tattersall's Tiara up in Queensland and that might still be on the cards yet,” he said.
With a sixth Group 1 for the season under their belts, Maher and Eustace are unquestionably one of the most unstoppable forces in Australian racing and Spicer said he believes they will become more dominant in the coming years.
“Ciaron and Dave are such a force to be reckoned with,” he said. “When they took over from Darren Weir there were obviously question marks about whether they could handle the huge team, but they have certainly answered the questions and they have taken that mega stable to the next level. I have no doubt Ciaron and Dave are going to go on and rewrite the record books for many more years to come.
"Ciaron (Maher) and Dave (Eustace) are such a force to be reckoned with... I have no doubt they are going to go on and rewrite the record books for many more years to come." - Brad Spicer
“I think the secret to their success lies in the fact that they are both really good horsemen and they have a wonderful team around them all over the country. They have all the right stables, with the English style training hills at Fingal and I think that works really well. They have all different styles of training to suit every horse at their fingertips.
“Snapdancer for example spends most of her time at the beach, she doesn’t seem to like the hustle and bustle of the city training, but she likes the beach life.”
Ciaron Maher and Ethan Brown after winning the G1 Robert Sangster S. | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
Spicer was also quick to pay tribute to jockey Ethan Brown, who enjoyed his first career Group 1 on Saturday.
“It was a fantastic result and to see Ethan Brown get out there and win his first Group 1 was amazing. He thoroughly deserves it,” he concluded.
