The path to the Group 1 winner's circle is more winding for some horses than it is for others, so their ultimate success when it comes, is especially satisfying.
Snitzel's daughter Sweet Idea, brilliant winner of Saturday's $400,000 The Galaxy 1100m G1, delivered that emotion for her owners.
She has earned immense respect from punters, racegoers and industry professionals alike, from her debut win at Randwick as a Spring juvenile, through four Group 2 wins, and the same number of Group 1 placings at two, three & four.
Sweet Idea's record of eight wins (five of them at Group 1 or 2 level), seven seconds, a third and $2.4 million prizemoney from 19 starts, all but three of them in black type races, describes a performer of the most genuine class, always competing to win and never giving less than her very best effort.
She is well-matched with her champion trainer Gai Waterhouse, who brought her for $240,000 from Arrowfield's 2012 Magic Millions Gold Coast draft.
Despite her almost impeccable first-up record, Sweet Idea had a wide draw and the quality of her opposition, notably the favourite Deep Field on paper was exceptional. Sweet Idea normally would take up a position on the speed however on Saturday settled further back in the field, a tactic explained by Gai after the race.
"Blake [Shinn] and I had a quiet talk in the jockey’s room beforehand and he said what do you think? I said to just give her a little bit of breathing space, you don’t want to use her up too soon and he did exactly that. It was a magical ride by Blake.
“She was too good the way she stormed home. I am so thrilled for the owners. We’ve been wanting the Group 1 and she’s got it in her first start back. What a mare.”
Gai with Sweet Idea Owners
Or
"You little ripper",
as part-owner David Henderson described her on Twitter.
He races Sweet Idea with his brother
Luke and fellow
GAI Waterhouse owners Nick Vass, Wayne Cook, Danny Maher, Grant Scott, Mrs T Vogel, Beric Lynton, Campbell Brown and Matt Allen.
SNITZEL - Outstanding Sire
Sweet Idea is the 5th Group 1 winner for Snitzel,
and the second Gr1 Winner in a fortnight, after her Gai Waterhouse trained stablemate Wandjina's success in the VRC Australian Guineas G1 on 7 March.
Wandjina, from Snitzel's 2011 crop, was also purchased for $1 million from the 2013 Inglis Easter Sale.
Storming home for third in The Galaxy was Not A Single Doubt's daughter Miracles of Life.
Sweet Idea was bred by the highly successful partnership of Arrowfield & Katsumi Yoshida's Jungle Pocket Pty Ltd, also responsible for Horse of the Year Weekend Hussler, Blue Diamond G1 winner Reaan, recent Flemington Group winner Amorino & 2yo stakes winner Odyssey Moon.
Sweet Idea was part of a notable day's racing in Sydney for Mr Yoshida, also the breeder of Japanese visitor Real Impact, winner of the George Ryder S. G1.
In a nice piece of synchronicity,
Sweet Idea's Group 1 success came on the same card as the Ranvet Stakes G1, one of two Group 1 races won by her Gai Waterhouse-trained grand-dam Electronic.
Sweet Idea's full sister is on offer at next month's Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.