Hailing from an outstanding European family, the Aga Khan-bred Tazaral has a way to go to emulate the records of his half-sisters, but he has taken a step in the right direction with his first Australian win.
The Irish import started his career with Dermot Weld before joining the Peter and Paul Snowden yard and while he showed glimpses of promise at his initial local campaign, Peter Snowden said he was a different horse this time around.
“We’ve learned a bit about him and he about what we do here as well,” Snowden said.
“Last time here he was agitated and on the chewy all the time, but he’s settled really well this prep.
“He’s been great in his work and he executed very well here today.
“Gee I liked that turn of foot that he had and he sustained a good gallop for a long while so it was very pleasing to see.”
By Fastnet Rock, Tazaral is a half-sibling to a pair of triple Group 1 winners overseas.
His big sister Tarnawa captured the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Turf and was runner-up in the 2021 Prix de l’Arc De Triomphe, while little sister Tahiyra recently won the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot while Peter Snowden was in the crowd, overseeing the English campaign of Cannonball.
“It’s a good family. While I was at Royal Ascot, his sister won the three-year-old race there, a Group One,” Snowden said.
“His older sister is a Group One winner too, so I feel a bit left out here.
“But he might be on his way now. I think he is progressive. He’s only lightly raced, that was his eleventh start, so I think there is more upside.”
Tazaral ($7) was first-up in Saturday’s Racing For Good on July 29 Handicap (1600m) and after being given time to find his feet by Tom Sherry, he powered home down the outside to beat In De Summertime ($21) by 1-1/4 lengths with Super Pursuit $7) another neck away third.
The race for the Sydney apprentices’ premiership provided an intriguing sidebar to the program with Zac Lloyd landing a double courtesy of Zaru in the Highway Handicap (1200m) and Bold Mac in the Robrick Lodge Eremein Handicap (1800m) to take his season tally of metropolitan winners to 69.
With pacesetter Dylan Gibbons failing to add to his haul, Lloyd now trails his arch-rival by just one win with four meetings of the term remaining.
