Snitzel's Cheer Leader In a Class of Her Own

Mark Smith - Friday March 22

Friday night's Listed Sun Stud Valley Pearl Stakes (St Albans Stakes) (1200m) is a story easy told - Yu Long Investments Snitzel filly Cheer Leader jumped straight to the front under Damian Lane and increased her margin at every call to win throttled down by five lengths. 

The Peter and Pail Snowden-trained filly had been working up to a win. She went down narrowly at Bendigo at her first start on February 16 when making her career debut with the future stakes-winner Flit back in third place.

Just over two weeks later, Cheer Leader was second across the line in the Listed Festival of Racing 1000 Stakes at Flemington before being relegated to third by the stewards.

Still, it did not prepare for her explosive performance at Moonee Valley, where she had the field off the bit well before turning for home.

The Nicconi colt Mayan did his best work in the closing stages, coming from last to grab second at a safe five lengths with the Unencumbered filly Free Thrills, earning some valuable black-type at her career debut, a length back in third.

Snowden stable representative Andrew Angelone said winkers have the filly more focussed.

"At her last start, she was green up the straight and shied at the post. We put the winkers on, she had a gallop at the Valley on Monday and was really sharp," Angelone said.

"She showed today she can lead and kick off the lead and win quite impressively.

"She's in her second prep, her last prep she only just missed out going to the races, she keeps improving and has a lot of improvement in her."

A $300,000 purchase by Yu Long Investments out of the Milburn Creek draft at the 2018 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, Cheer Leader is a half-sister to Group 1 MRC One Thousand Guineas winner Amicus (Fastnet Rock) and the stakes-placed Il Cavallo (Choisir).

She is the eighth named foal and the seventh winner out of the stakes-placed El Moxie (USA) mare Gold Chant who is a half-sister to the champion sprinter, 4-time Group 1 winner and accomplished sire Starspangledbanner.

Owned by Makybe Racing & Breeding, Gold Chant missed to Not A Single Doubt in 2016 before foaling a colt by I Am Invincible on November 15 last year.

Lime Country Thoroughbreds, on behalf of Makybe, will offer a Not A Single Doubt colt out of Gold Chant's dam Gold Anthem as lot 31 at the upcoming Easter Yearling Sale.

Cheer Leader becomes the 88th stakes-winner for Snitzel who is on a track for his third consecutive champion sire title with a lead of over $5 million.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Invader's Amosu WIns MM The Debut for Liam Birchley
Connections of Amosu turned a $60,000 investment into a $305,000 payday less than 12 months later when the pint-sized filly scored a last-stride win in the Magic Millions The Debut Plate (1000m) at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Manhattan Rain's Main Crush Takes Miss Andretti Stks - Brother at MM Perth
The Overpass form is as good as it gets in Western Australia so it was no surprise to see tough Manhattan Rain gelding Man Crush score his second stakes win in the Listed Miss Andretti Stakes (1100m) at Ascot on Saturday.
Spritely Sweynesse 7YO Wins Kuma Gold Nuggets
Promising apprentice Donovan Cooper made good use of his 2kg claim as he guided the Christchurch-trained Treybon to a clear cut victory in Saturday’s Vernon & Vazey 0800 Truck Parts Kumara Gold Nuggets (1810m).
Future Looks Bright for Excess
Corumbene Stud's George Altomonte was impressed enough by Julius Sandhu's handing of Group II MRC Rubiton Stakes winner Lofty Strike to entrust the Cranbourne-based trainer with the full-sister Excess and was rewarded with a debut win at Cranbourne on Thursday.
First Australian Winner for Bivouac – More to Come
Darley homebred first season sire Bivouac sired his first winner in New Zealand last month in Group winning filly Intention and has now broken the ice in Australia with the speedy filly Luana Miss making a winning debut at Ascot on Saturday.
Black Type Next - Zousain Filly La Roux Goes Two for Two
Astute trainer Phillip Stokes has a smart juvenile in the stable in fleet footed Zousain filly La Roux, who won easily on debut at Morphettville on Boxing Day and backed it up with another easy victory as a short priced favourite at Murray Bridge on Saturday.
G3 Winner on Comeback Trail
Talented Kiwi-bred galloper Grand Impact was back in the winner’s circle after an all-the-way victory in the Domeland Benchmark 100 Handicap (1350m) at the Wyong standalone meeting on Saturday.
Snitzel's Away Game Sizzles to Massive Payday in MM Classic
Luke Currie won a second The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m) in three years when emerging filly Away Game stunned her rivals in Saturday’s $2 million contest at the Gold Coast.
Time For War's Straight Loving It'sourtime Bags Standish
Seven year-old Time For War gelding It'sourtime bagged his fourth stakes victory in Saturday’s Group III Standish Handicap (1200m), continuing his love affair with the Flemington straight course.
35th G1 Winner for Savabeel - Provence wins Thorndon Mile
A coming-of-age performance by Provence in the Gr.1 Harcourts Thorndon Mile (1600m) capped a feature treble at Trentham on Saturday for leading jockey Sam Spratt.