Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Trained by Peter and Paul Snowden, Cannonball was last seen finishing third in the G1 The Galaxy on his first crack at the elite level, a performance which confirmed the promise of his first-up win in the G3 Maurice McCarten H. a week earlier.
Provided that he gets his favoured track conditions, part-owner James Harron, who purchased the blue-blooded son of Capitalist for $975,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, is confident that his colt has the ability to follow in the footsteps of fellow Australian Nature Strip (Nicconi), who stunned the home crowd when turning the King’s Stand into a procession 12 months ago.
Cannonball as a yearling at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, prior to being purchased for $975,000 by James Harron | Image courtesy of The Image is Everything
“We thought this was a race that suited him and he’s a really progressive colt who deserves his chance to step up into that grade,” Harron told TDN AusNZ.
“He’s crying out for that fast ground, he’s proven up the straight and that five, five and a half furlongs distance range is just perfect for him.
“He was really flying at the end of his last prep. He was an unlucky third behind Giga Kick in the (G2) Danehill (S.), which is very good form, and then after transferring to Sydney he came back and beat the older horses, before backing up a week later to run third in The Galaxy.
“He’s (Cannonball) crying out for that fast ground, he’s proven up the straight and that five, five and a half furlongs distance range is just perfect for him.” - James Harron
“Provided that he gets a fast track, which you usually do over there at that time of year, I reckon he turns up and runs extremely well. It’s something to be quite excited about.”
Following his career-best effort in the G1 The Galaxy, Cannonball was given a quiet five days with a view to targeting the G2 Arrowfield Sprint for 3-year-olds on day two of The Championships in Sydney, only for a wet track to put paid to those plans.
With no time for a prep run between now and his scheduled departure in early June, Cannonball will have to rely on a barrier trial and a jump-out to bring him up to the mark, although Harron and his ownership group have every confidence that the Snowden camp will have him in peak physical condition come the Tuesday of Royal Ascot.
James Harron | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“He’ll likely have a trial in Sydney and then a jump-out down the Flemington straight just before he leaves,” Harron revealed.
“They have put on these jump-outs at Flemington for the Ascot horses, which is really handy, and then they fly out of Melbourne, so he can have a good rip down the straight before he goes.
“Peter Snowden and his wife Lyn are going to be flying over and meeting the horse in England the day after he arrives. Peter will have 12 days to train one horse, so we’re not going to leave any stone unturned, that's for sure!”
The right mould
As well as being the first Royal Ascot runner for the father and son training partnership of Peter and Paul Snowden, Cannonball will also be a first representative in Europe for his Newgate Farm-based sire Capitalist, whom Harron purchased as a yearling and raced to G1 Golden Slipper glory on his way to being crowned Champion 2-Year-Old.
While Harron admits that Cannonball holds special significance as a son of his former star, the leading bloodstock agent was quick to affirm that sentiment played no part in the decision to send the Group 3 winner on an overseas mission, highlighting his progressive profile and physical attributes as the driving forces behind the trip to the Northern Hemisphere.
“Capitalist has been an amazing horse for us and all our owners that raced Capitalist are in this colt as well, so it’s really special and adds a nice angle to it all,” he said.
“But this horse is going there on his own merits. He’s a real Aussie sprinter type and he’s a horse we genuinely believe is going to be super competitive over there. We wouldn’t want to go through all the effort if we didn’t believe that.
“He’s a really well-put-together horse, he’s very strong and has matured into a real handsome big boy now.
“He’s (Cannonball) a really well-put-together horse, he’s very strong and has matured into a real handsome big boy now.” - James Harron
“With a bit of luck, he should handle the travel and I think he’ll really enjoy the experience. A trip away and a change of environment really stimulates those big, burly colts, and we’re excited to see how he responds to it all.”
Royal Ascot hasn’t been the happiest of hunting grounds for Harron in the past, with Group 1 winners Shamal Wind (Dubawi {Ire}) and Wandjina failing to make the frame during their respective visits in 2015.
Those results certainly haven’t dampened Harron’s enthusiasm for Europe’s premier racing festival, however, the bloodstock agent is thrilled to be returning once again with another live chance this year - so long as the track comes up dry.
“We took Shamal Wind and Wandjina over there to not much success,” Harron recalled.
“We took Shamal Wind and Wandjina over there (Royal Ascot) to not much success.” - James Harron
“Shamal Wind slipped at the beginning and it didn’t give her much of a chance, and Wandjina just ran an okay race.
“It’s obviously an amazing carnival and it’s a prestigious race, but regardless of it being Royal Ascot, we really felt it was the right race for Cannonball and that the timing was right to give him his opportunity whilst he’s still three to put a Group 1 on his CV.
“The whole team believes he is right up there and within firing range, but he’s just been so hamstrung by wet tracks. As soon as we got to Sydney and things dried up, things really started happening for him, so hopefully we can keep that trend continuing.”
Beyond Berkshire
While the G1 King’s Stand S. has been earmarked as Cannonball’s primary target, Harron has not ruled out an audacious tilt at the G1 Platinum Jubilee S. on the fifth and final day of the royal meeting, although any chance of a back-up from the King’s Stand will likely depend on how the 3-year-old fares on the opening day.
Cannonball returns to scale after winning the G3 Maurice McCarten S. | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Should conditions go against Cannonball in his quest for Royal Ascot glory, other high-profile sprint races in Europe could enter calculations for the colt, with the G2 King George S. at Glorious Goodwood and the G1 Nunthorpe S. during York’s Ebor Festival mooted as potential alternatives.
“He is the type of horse that can handle the backup - he’s really powerful and comes through his runs well - so it’s not out of the question, but the King’s Stand is the race we have circled for him,” Harron said.
“He (Cannonball) is the type of horse that can handle the backup - he’s really powerful and comes through his runs well.” - James Harron
“There are other options for him if things don’t quite go to plan at Royal Ascot, you’ve got the Nunthorpe which is usually a pretty fast track over five furlongs at York, but we haven’t really thought that far ahead.
“There are plenty of races back in Australia for him as well, so we’ll just judge it as we go and hopefully we get conditions to suit on the Tuesday.”
