On the verge of his 1000th winner for Darley, trainer Peter Snowden is quick to play down his own part in the success of Sheikh Mohammed’s Australian operation.
Before Friday night’s racing at Canterbury and Moonee Valley, Snowden had trained 995 winners for Darley since May 2008.
Peter Snowden - Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia
The stable has multiple runners in the feature meetings in Melbourne and Sydney on Saturday including leading Blue Diamond contender Guelph in the Fillies Prelude at Caulfield and Skytrain in the Expressway Stakes at Warwick Farm.
Stable stalwart Pinwheel flies the flag in the Group One C F Orr Stakes at the Caulfield meeting.
“It might not happen this weekend but it will happen soon and it’s a fantastic achievement for the team,” Snowden said.
“It’s a big team effort and I’m just lucky to be in the driving seat.
“There’s a lot of work done by a lot of people. We’re lucky to have the best of the best when it comes to training facilities but the work still has to be done.”
Darley’s managing director Henry Plumptre said Snowden was an integral cog in the wheel.
“I have often said that we inherited some significant assets with the buy-out of the Woodlands racing and breeding operations but none were more important than Peter and the intellectual property he brought to the table,” Plumptre said.
“On behalf of Sheikh Mohammed, we thank him for his massive contribution and dedication and that of his whole team.”
When John Hawkes resigned his position with Bob Ingham’s Woodlands concern in 2007, his foreman Snowden took over and expected to be continuing his association with the famous racing family.
In March 2008, Ingham shocked Australian racing when he sold his Woodlands racing and breeding operation lock, stock and barrel, to Sheikh Mohammed with the deal finalised on May 16 that year.
Snowden was retained as head trainer and his first official winner for the sheikh came with Ku Ring Gai at Kembla Grange 24 hours after the acquisition was completed, the same day El Cambio won the Group Three BTC Classic at Doomben.
The following spring Snowden celebrated his first Group One with the maroon and white colours when Sousa claimed the Spring Champion Stakes.
Another 20 Group Ones have followed including the 2011 juvenile double of the Blue Diamond Stakes and Golden Slipper with Sepoy along with the 2009-2010 Sydney trainers’ premiership.
