Peter Snowden has kept up his outstanding connection to the Hawkesbury standalone event, securing the Gold Rush among his feature race triumphs thanks to the gifted sprinter Zealously.
Snowden has backed the fixture from the start and has secured the Hawkesbury Crown (1300m) on seven occasions and the Guineas (1400m) five times as part of his impressive tally of 18 victories in the day’s top contests.
The $4 favourite Zealously dictated the pace and faced no real threat in claiming Saturday’s $200,000 Hawkesbury Gold Rush (1100m) by 1-1/2 lengths from Bev’s Nine at $10, while Monte Supreme at $7 filled third spot, with those settling back unable to mount a strong challenge.
Snowden was delighted to witness the four-year-old secure a stakes victory and revealed his apprehension earlier when the surface looked “doughy”, given Zealously’s preference for firmer conditions.
“I was a little bit worried when I saw the track today. You wouldn’t want it any wetter for him,” Snowden said.
“But I thought he’d be able to control the speed and when he got a soft sectional between the 400 and the corner, he was going to be hard to beat.”
Snowden plans to bypass the Scone carnival with Zealously, opting instead for a Brisbane winter campaign.
He noted multiple possibilities for the sprinter up north, assuming firm tracks prevail.
“I think we will look at Brisbane with him now,” he said.
“I’ve got Fire Star and King Of Sparta for Scone, so I’m just trying to spread them around.”
Zealously had Tom Sherry aboard, who mentioned the horse came back more developed this campaign and has improved at saving energy.
“Once he can control a race like that, he’s always going to be very competitive,” Sherry said.
“I feel as though he’s relaxing a lot better this preparation than in his previous ones, which will stand him in good stead going forward.”
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