Don stamps class at Randwick debut

Peter and Paul Snowden have produced another smart two-year-old in Don Corleone.

DON CORLEONE winning the PETALUMA HANDICAP at Randwick in Australia.
DON CORLEONE winning the PETALUMA HANDICAP at Randwick in Australia. Picture: Steve Hart

Don Corleone's uncanny resemblance to Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside convinced Newgate Farm supremo Henry Field to take a gamble on the colt as a weanling, and the investment looks like paying dividends. 

The youngster proved superior in Saturdays Petaluma Handicap (1000m) at Randwick despite receiving no favours in the run when he was posted three and four-wide from an outside draw. 

Don Corleone ($6.50) still had the temerity to range up to the leading group on the corner and wear down Kundalini($11) by three-quarters of a length with Coincide($3.90 fav) holding third another three lengths away. 

Field, who stands Stay Inside at Newgate alongside the sire of both horses in Extreme Choice, paid $650,000 for Don Corleone, the most he has paid for a weanling "by a long way". 

"He is by Extreme Choice, who is a special stallion, and he is in the image, physically, of Stay Inside. He is like a doppelganger," Field said of Don Corleone. 

Stay Inside made a winning debut in the corresponding race at Randwick two years ago before going on to claim the Pierro Plate then finishing fourth in the Todman Stakes ahead of his Slipper triumph. 

Co-trainer Peter Snowden said was yet to lock in autumn plans for Don Corleone as while the horse had been showing above-average ability at home, he had disappointed in his trials and he wanted to see the juvenile perform on race day. 

"His trials I thought had been OK, but that was why I put the blinkers on today because I wanted to a make a statement with the colt," Peter Snowden said. 

"I wanted to make sure he is the horse I think he is going to be. 

"So, I thought no loafing today, put him in the race, he needed to show us he had the ability to go all the way, or whether he was just a pretender. 

"It was good to see him do that today." 

Having proved to Snowden he is the real deal, Don Corleone will now be considered for starts in the major two-year-old races in both Sydney and Melbourne. 

"We have Blue Diamond options and Golden Slipper options," Snowden said. 

"After today, I am confident no matter where he goes he will be competitive." 

Don Corleone vaulted to the third line of Golden Slipper betting at $11 and was at $15 for the Blue Diamond Stakes following Saturday's win. 


Racing and Sports



Randwick

Saturday, 21st January 2023

1
12:20
(local)

PETALUMA HANDICAP

Age: 2yo WT: 54.0kg Type: OPEN
AUD $150,000
1000m TURF SOFT
1
12:20
(local)
AUD $150,000
1000m SOFT

PETALUMA HANDICAP

Age: 2yo WT: 54.0kg Type: OPEN
FP Silk Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 3. DON CORLEONE (AUS) 2yo C
EXTREME CHOICE (AUS) - SNIPZU (AUS)
JAMES MCDONALD
PETER & PAUL SNOWDEN
$6.5
57kg
Newgate Bloodstock, China Horse Club Racing Pty Ltd, Newgate S F, Horse Ventures, Go Bloodstock Australia, Starlight Racing, Grant Bloodstock Pty Ltd, Carpe Diem, Aston Bloodstock, Nick Vass Bloodstock & Aristia Park Bloodstock Pty Ltd

Sales Information

2nd 12. KUNDALINI (AUS) 2yo F
I AM INVINCIBLE (AUS) - RUUD AWAKENING (AUS)
JASON COLLETT
CIARON MAHER & DAVID EUSTACE
$11
55kg
Fairway Thoroughbreds (Mgr: J Camilleri)

Sales Information

3rd 1. COINCIDE (AUS) 2yo C
INVADER (AUS) - CONVERSELY (IRE)
TIM CLARK
G WATERHOUSE & A BOTT
$3.9
58kg
T Gorgovski, M S Haidar, R Reddy, B J Hansell, D H McClelland, T R Martin, D J Counsel, C A Ball, Mrs H Rassos, G Rassos, B Mitkovski, G Corapovski & B Isemonger

Sales Information

4th 10. INHIBITIONS (AUS) 2yo F
ZOUSTAR (AUS) - WORKDRINKS (AUS)
KERRIN MCEVOY
JAMES CUMMINGS
$19
55kg

Sales Information

5th 5. HIGH KING (AUS) 2yo C
RUSSIAN REVOLUTION (AUS) - ALTEZA REAL (AUS)
TOMMY BERRY
MICHAEL FREEDMAN
$21
57kg

Sales Information

6th 7. MOJAVE DESERT (AUS) 2yo C
I AM INVINCIBLE (AUS) - FINE BUBBLES (AUS)
BRENTON AVDULLA
CHRIS WALLER
$14
57kg

Sales Information

7th 11. KALIMBA (AUS) 2yo F
SNITZEL (AUS) - AFRICAN PIANO (JPN)
TYLER SCHILLER
GARY PORTELLI
$51
55kg

Sales Information

8th 4. FLEETWOOD (AUS) 2yo C
ENCRYPTION (AUS) - JENNIFER JUNIPER (AUS)
JOSH PARR
JAMES CUMMINGS
$4.6
57kg

Sales Information

9th 9. BRAVE AGENDA (AUS) 2yo F
BRAVE SMASH (JPN) - MORGANZA (GB)
BROCK RYAN
R & L PRICE
$17
55.5kg

Sales Information

10th 6. INTRUDER (AUS) 2yo G
EPAULETTE (AUS) - MIRANDA JANE (AUS)
CHAD SCHOFIELD
DAVID PAYNE
$151
57kg

Sales Information

11th 8. SCORPION JACK (AUS) 2yo C
IMPENDING (AUS) - QUEEN OF EIGHT (AUS)
BRETT PREBBLE
GARY PORTELLI
$31
57kg

Sales Information

12th 13. ROCKABILLY REBEL (AUS) 2yo F
STREET BOSS (USA) - TEXT'N HURLEY (AUS)
RACHEL KING
BJORN BAKER
$5
55kg

Sales Information