Two talented fillies were dominant winners of the feature 2-year-old races at Randwick and Caulfield respectively on Saturday.
Champagne Boom (Spirit of Boom) showed too strong a turn of foot for her rivals to win the Listed Inglis Debutant S. by 2.5l, while Anaheed (Fastnet Rock) was even more impressive, handling the heavy conditions to win the Victory Vein Plate at Randwick by four lengths.
Booming into the 2YO season
Lindsay Park continued their domination of the Debutant S. with a third straight winner in the race thanks to Champagne Boom.
After missing the start, the filly was given an excellent ride by Craig Williams back on the rail off the pace and when steered into the clear, she proved far too strong, powering to an easy win.
Co-trainer Ben Hayes said post-race that Champagne Boom would likely head to the G3 Bumble S. on Melbourne Cup Day.
She is Spirit of Boom's first 2-year-old winner of the new season to go with the 18 2YO winners the Eureka Stud stallion had in his first season. A $90,000 Magic Millions buy, Champagne Boom is out of the Dash for Cash mare Lucky Toss, a four-time winner who is a half-sister to G2 winner Scenic Warrior and multiple Listed winner Stanzaic.
Champagne Boom pictured as a yearling.
Star mare produces a class filly at Randwick
Paul Snowden, co-trainer of Anaheed, said Saturday's race had only really come under the radar when the filly won her trial well at Warwick Farm last Monday.
"That was a really good win, she only trialled on Monday this week and Dad was very happy with the way she handled the soft conditions on Monday. It wasn't a very testing trial and she had a fair bit in hand," he said.
"When noms were extended, we thought, let’s have a lash and see if we draw well enough."
"When noms were extended, we thought, let’s have a lash and see if we draw well enough." - Paul Snowden
A homebred by owner Sheikh Bin Khalifa, Anaheed is out of the Group 1 winning mare Rostova (Testa Rossa), who Tim Stakemire bought for $850,000 in 2015.
Snowden, who once trained at Flemington alongside Rostova's trainer Steve Richards, said this filly was very much like her dam.
"She's pretty much a no fuss filly. I know the mare really well. I watched her race in Melbourne with Steve Richards, Rostova, and I think she's thrown a bit to her," he said.
"She's a very loose, walking filly, great attitude and she's really stamped herself as one that will improve herself with a bit of break as well."
"She's a very loose, walking filly, great attitude and she's really stamped herself as one that will improve herself with a bit of break as well." - Paul Snowden
Jockey Tim Clark agreed that Anaheed's professionalism was key to the ease of her win.
"Everything they have thrown at her, she has handled it easily. She's very push-button and very professional. She is what you’d expect when you are riding for guys like them," he said.
Anaheed is the second filly to win an early 2-year-old race for the Snowdens after Catch Me (I Am Invincible) was successful in the G3 Gimcrack S. two weeks' ago.
The first winner battle for first season sires is still live with Disruptor (Dissident) and Ready's Girl (Better Than Ready) filling the placings at Randwick, while Biscara (Rubick) was second to Champagne Boom at Caulfield.
Doomben was set to host a 2-year-old race but the meeting was abandoned due to the inclement weather.
