Darley head-trainer Peter Snowden has revealed that yesterday’s Group 1 Doomben 10,000 (1350m) winner Epaulette could still be a chance to race in England this season for Darley’s European arm Godolphin.
Almost certain to remain in Brisbane and take his place in the $1 million Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 9, Snowden told RSN a decision on whether the colt remained in Australia was out of his hands.
“His future will be determined after the Stradbroke with whether he goes over to Ascot or whether he stays in Australia and races on,” Snowden said.
“The thing in this horse’s favour is that he’s been very sparingly raced, but getting him there (England) in the new surrounds and the new environment it would be pretty hard, but if the boss wanted him to go then he goes.”
Snowden said as long as Epaulette didn’t receive a ‘ridiculous’ weight then he would definitely take his place in the Stradbroke, but couldn’t confirm whether the son of Commands would continue to race on as a four-year-old or join the ever-growing list of colts retiring to stud.
“If he was to get something like 56kg or 57kg that ridiculous,” he said.
“It would be good to see him stay in Australia and race on; it’s been a stellar year of really good three-year-olds.
“That’s the good and bad thing about racing, the prize money is good in racing but it’s better at stud.”
Snowden also revealed that he set himself a benchmark of trying to achieve 200 winner a season, a feat they achieved yesterday with Epaulette’s victory.
“For our stable it’s all about the black-type and Group races being a breeding operation but personally I set myself a goal to get that many (200) winners,” he said.
“I think it’s achievable, last year we had only 184 which sounds greedy, but we’re a big stable with lots of young horses and it’s all about improving them and getting the best out of them that you can.
“Most of our stable is made up of two and three-year-olds and when you’ve got the breeding that we have, they’re the sort of targets I set.”
Source : Racing Victoria
