‘The ride of my life’: Snapdancer reigns supreme in Memsie Stakes

Trainer Ciaron Maher’s decision to back the superior fitness of his mare Snapdancer paid dividends when she led throughout to win Melbourne’s first group 1 win of the season, the $1 million Memsie Stakes (1400 metres) at Caulfield on Saturday.

Maher identified the Memsie Stakes as a suitable option for the five-year-old mare after her second placing in the Tiara at Eagle Farm in late June and his decision was vindicated with her victory.

Snapdancer takes the win in the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield with Ethan Brown on board.Credit:Getty Images

“She ran so well at the 1400m in the Tiara and as history would tell you, fitness counts for a lot in this race and the horses with that residual fitness generally figure,” Maher said.

In a bid to use her fitness, Snapdancer’s jockey Ethan Brown took her straight to the lead, and she defied a late challenge from I’m Thunderstruck to win by a half-length with Cascadian also running on well to finish third, a further length-and-a-half away.

Maher, who trains in partnership with David Eustace, said Australia’s richest sprint race the $15 million Everest (1200 metres) at Randwick on October 15 could be an option for Snapdancer, but he added she was suited to 1400m.

Maher said he always thought Snapdancer would be a better horse as a four and five-year-old but thinks she is still developing.

Snapdancer, raced by Brad Spicer syndications, has graduated to be one of Australia’s best mares at her past three starts where she has won two group 1 wins and also finished second in the Tiara Stakes at that level.

“The sky’s the limit as she is just going from strength to strength and I think she’ll get better again. If she doesn’t win again though this year she’s been phenomenal,” Maher said.

Emerging jockey 23-year-old Brown has ridden her in those races, and he paid tribute to her ability and what she had done for him.

“She’s giving me the ride of my life,” Brown said.

Damian Oliver, who rode Alligator Blood who finished seventh, said he was held up in the straight by Western Empire and felt he could have run a place with luck.

Three-year-old colt Jaquinot proved he would be a force in the forthcoming feature three-year-old races after he produced a powerful finishing burst to win the group 3 McNeil Stakes (1200m).

Co-trainer Michael Kent Junior said Jaquinot had matured and would be set for the $1 million Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill on September 24 and the $3 million Caulfield Guineas (1600m) in October.

Champion jockey Blake Shinn made a successful comeback to Caulfield, winning at his first two rides at the track in five years. Shinn won on Spanish Tides and Munhamek, who he had an association with in Hong Kong.

Top trainer Peter Moody unveiled a potential star when former New Zealand galloper I Wish I Might strolled in to win the 1400m open handicap. Stable foreman Katherine Coleman said the four-year-old gelding would be set for the Toorak Handicap.

The stable made it a winning double with jockey Jamie Kah when four-year-old mare Chain Of Lightning took her record to five wins from five starts when she easily won the group 3 Cockram Stakes (1200m).

Memsie preview: Alligator Blood poised to spring into action

Gai Waterhouse is confident Alligator Blood can prove he’s a genuine Cox Plate contender when he belatedly begins his Melbourne spring campaign in the group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400 metres) at Caulfield on Saturday.

Alligator Blood was slated to run in the P.B. Lawrence Stakes a fortnight ago at Caulfield but couldn’t as at the start of August, Racing Victoria banned his managing owner Allan Endresz from racing horses as he was an undischarged bankrupt.

Earlier this week RV stewards accepted an application from Endresz that he had transferred the ownership of the horse to a group headed by Harvey Norman and Magic Millions proprietor Gerry Harvey.

Waterhouse said although Alligator Blood was initially set to return to racing a fortnight ago, he had not lost any fitness.

Alligator Blood takes out the Stradbroke at Eagle Farm in June.Credit:Michael McInally

“We trained him to compensate for missing that race. He’s where we want him to be. He’s an exciting horse,” Waterhouse said.

Alligator Blood will take on a star-studded field in the Memsie Stakes that includes the Mick Price and Michael Kent jnr-trained pair of I’m Thunderstruck and Illation, last year’s winner Tofane, and the Australian Cup winner Duais.

Alligator Blood joined the Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable at the start of this year with a big query over his form, but it took only two runs for them for him to win the group 1 Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm at his last run in June.

The former top galloper had captured the attention of racing fans as a three-year-old when he was trained by David Vandyke as he won nine of his first 11 starts and finished second in the 2019 Caulfield Guineas. His last win was in the 2020 Australian Guineas before he failed in the 2020 All-Star Mile.

He had three starts in the spring as a four-year-old with Vandyke for a second and a third before failing in the 2020 Golden Eagle.

He then had back surgery before joining Billy Healey’s stable for three runs in 2021, with his best effort a fourth. Endresz then sent Alligator Blood to Waterhouse and Bott earlier this year and they managed to weave their magic on him.

Waterhouse said the key to the six-year-old gelding’s rejuvenation was to teach him to relax. “He was living on his nerves when he came to us. We got him to relax and once he did, he improved out of all knowledge,” she said.

Waterhouse said she wasn’t surprised by Alligator Blood’s win in the Stradbroke Handicap nor the style of it, where he came from mid-field to win.

“I wasn’t surprised. He had been training very well and he was very receptive to the way we were training him,” she said.

I’m Thunderstruck will be among the rivals for Alligator Blood on Saturday. Credit:Getty Images

Waterhouse said Alligator Blood had been in Melbourne for a couple of weeks and had settled in well. “I was down with him this week. He went to the Valley the week before, Damien [Oliver] was very impressed with him and spoke quite glowingly of his work. He’s very forward.”

Alligator Blood gave Waterhouse her 150th group 1 win with victory in the Stradbroke Handicap and she sits third on the all-time list of trainers behind Bart Cummings and her father Tommy Smith.

She has turned to the jockey who has won the most group 1 races in Australian racing history, Oliver (123 wins), to ride him.

Alligator Blood has drawn barrier one and Waterhouse said they would discuss tactics with Oliver closer to the race.

Waterhouse will also be watching the stable’s Melbourne Cup fancy, Hoo Ya Mal, run in England in the group 3 March Stakes (2800 metres) at Goodwood on Sunday morning.

The English Derby runner-up was purchased by the stable for $2 million at the Goffs Sale in June.

Waterhouse said Hoo Ya Mal would then run in the English St Leger before coming out to Australia for the Melbourne Cup.

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