Good things come in threes, as the Snowden stable found out on Saturday.
Redzel claimed the Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m) for the third year in a row at Royal Randwick after opening at a juicy $7.50 for punters.
In the end, it all boiled down to an exciting finish between the seven-year-old speedster and a looming Pierata, right before the two-time Everest winner found something extra over the final 50m to win by a head.
With long-time hoop Kerrin McEvoy on board, Redzel hit the lead early from the gates to establish a handy spot along the rails. Race-favourite Nature Strip looked a chance in the opening section, but after showing too much too early, Redzel found open space down the straight to hold the swooping Pierata.
Snowden-trained Redzel is now a three-time Concorde Stakes winner. Photo Credit: Steve Hart.
“When he came up underneath Kerrin at the 800m then through the 600m and 500m and hadn’t moved on him you knew he was in it” Paul Snowden said after the race.
“When Nature Strip came around him it put it to him but he hadn’t spent a penny. It played into our hands today. Still a bit to go.”
Redzel can be had for $7.00 in All-In Everest betting markets at Ladbrokes.com.au. Pierata’s late dash to the line has also seen the Gregory Hickman-trained five-year-old firm into an identical price behind $6.00 favourite Santa Ana Lane.
Nature Strip, meanwhile, is still fighting for a place in the world’s richest turf race after coming off the bridle way too early.
“Even though there was a lot of pace on paper it didn’t work out like that. He fired up for about a furlong in the middle and finished accordingly” beaten jockey James McDonald went on to say.
The plan ahead for Redzel could also wind up identical to years past as Snowden eyes either the Group 2 The Shorts (1100m) in a fortnights time back at Randwick or the Premiere Stakes (1200m) on October 5.
“We’ve won it with both options. To the Shorts in a few weeks or wait for the Premiere with a trial in between. We won’t make that call until this time next week and see how he comes through it” Snowden said.
