Capitalist colt Holmes A Court laid down his Group 1 Golden Slipper claims with a commanding win in the Group 3 Black Opal Stakes (1200m) at Canberra.
The victory continued the near quarter of a century drought for odds-on favourites in the race with a game run from the highly fancied Fully Lit ($1.65) delivering a second placing, 0.14-lengths behind the winner, with Amazing Eagle ($8) more than a length away in third.
Holmes A Court ($7), ridden by Tommy Berry, broke his maiden after two starts at Caulfield, firstly with a second placing to stablemate High Octane in the Listed Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) on January 26 and then finished third to another stable Slipper contender – Bodyguard – in the Group 3 Blue Diamond Preview (1100m) two weeks later.
It was a first Black Opal Stakes win for Berry while the Snowdens have been successful in three of the past five years.
Holmes A Court was an $850,000 purchase at the 2023 Gold Coast Yearling Sale and is at $26 across markets for the 1200-metre Golden Slipper on March 30.
Storm Boy holds Slipper favouritism at $2.20 with impressive Group 2 Todman Stakes (1200m) winner Switzerland at $4.50.
The Snowden stable also took out the Listed Canberra Guineas (1400m) with Xidaki ($7) earlier on the card.
The Listed Canberra Cup (2000m) saw Kris Lees net his second win in the $250,000 feature with Almania ($3.50) after taking the event with group one performer Mugatoo won in 2019.
This was Almania's third win in 21 starts following a narrow defeat in the Listed Parramatta Cup (1900m) on February 24.
FP | Silk | Horse, Age & Sex Sire & Dam |
Jockey Trainer |
SP
WT |
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1st |
5. HOLMES A COURT (AUS) 2yo C CAPITALIST (AUS) - MENAGERIE (AUS) |
TOMMY BERRY PETER & PAUL SNOWDEN |
$7
56kg |
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Newgate Bloodstock (Mgr: H A Field), China Horse Club Racing Pty Ltd, Newgate S F, Go Bloodstock Australia, Trilogy Horse Ventures, Carpe Diem, Grant Bloodstock Pty Ltd, Starlight Racing, G1G Colts & Breeding Pty Ltd, Nick Vass Bloodstock, Aston Bloodstock & Aristia Park Bloodstock Pty Ltd | |||||||||||
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2nd |
1. FULLY LIT (AUS) 2yo C HELLBENT (AUS) - SUNLIT (AUS) |
REGAN BAYLISS G WATERHOUSE & A BOTT |
$1.65
58kg |
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Mrs T Rook, Slice Syndicate, Beau River Racing, RedFox Racing Hellbent Sunlit, RedFox Racing, Mrs R Pajor, Mrs S Vousty, Mrs K-A Crameri, N J Weir, Mrs E K Weir, M L Carrington, Mrs D M Perri, D Perri, Mrs T S Smith, Mrs A Ball, Mrs A Bentley, Mrs C E Mckelvie, Ms M M Thomson & R G Richards | |||||||||||
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3rd |
3. AMAZING EAGLE (AUS) 2yo C CAPITALIST (AUS) - TALIQUA (AUS) |
TYLER SCHILLER G RYAN & S ALEXIOU |
$8
56kg |
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J Moore & T F I (Mgr: Miss S Williams) | |||||||||||
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4th |
2. ODINSON (AUS) 2yo C NIGHT OF THUNDER (IRE) - GOOD VIBES (GB) |
TOM MARQUAND CIARON MAHER |
$11
58kg |
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5th |
8. VELLA'S BEST (AUS) 2yo G HEADWATER (AUS) - HERE DE JOY (AUS) |
DAMON BUDLER GRATZ VELLA |
$9
56kg |
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6th |
7. PHORONEUS (AUS) 2yo G OMAHA BEACH (USA) - CHRYSOPELIA (AUS) |
ANDREW ADKINS B JOSEPH & P & M JONES |
$101
56kg |
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7th |
12. SPIRIT IN THE DARK (AUS) 2yo F SPIRIT OF BOOM (AUS) - FLASH IN THE DARK (AUS) |
DYLAN GIBBONS KEITH DRYDEN |
$101
54kg |
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8th |
9. DUPLI KATE (AUS) 2yo F STAR TURN (AUS) - ATOM EVE (AUS) |
MS JESS TAYLOR NORM GARDNER |
$151
54kg |
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9th |
4. FULL METAL JACKET (AUS) 2yo C CAPITALIST (AUS) - CRYSTAL WAND (AUS) |
TOM SHERRY GARY PORTELLI |
$21
56kg |
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10th |
13. SPRITZY LASS (AUS) 2yo F EXCEEDANCE (AUS) - COCKTAIL (AUS) |
JEFF PENZA TODD SMART |
$81
54kg |
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11th |
10. HOLD THE GOLD (AUS) 2yo F INVADER (AUS) - TOUGH COMPANY (AUS) |
LOUISE DAY MATTHEW KELLEY |
$101
54kg |
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