The depth of Darley’s youngsters has been underlined by the third individual debut winner on consecutive Saturdays in Sydney for Sheikh Mohammed’s racing operation.
All three – Earthquake, Memorial and Occitan – are fillies with autumn riches in their future.
Occitan - Photo by Steve Hart
Trainer Peter Snowden, who announced this week he would be leaving Darley after the 2014 autumn carnival, said the three were all progressive types.
Occitan’s win on the Kensington track at Randwick on Saturday came after the $3 favourite sat three-wide for most of the 1000 metres.
Jason Collett shook her up in the straight and she held off the challenge from Snip Spur ($10) by three-quarters of a length with Stephansdom ($5) 1-1/2 lengths third.
“I told Jason to have her where she was comfortable,” Snowden said.
“She is a very nice filly as are the other two.
“It’s good prize money and these races help them get into the Slipper.
“Memorial will race again next week while I’ll have a think about Occitan and whether she races again or goes for a spell to get ready for the autumn.
“Earthquake is already having a break because she will be back in early to get ready for the Blue Diamond.
“She is the precocious type you need for that race.”
Snowden admitted it had been a long week with the news of his impending departure leaked before he had a chance to tell his staff.
But if it had affected him in any way it didn’t show with three-year-old Sinjoren giving the stable a race-to-race double when he got the better of Amovatio over 1550m.
A half brother to triple Group One winner Viscount, Sinjoren ($6.50) came from back in the small field aided by a rails run to beat Amovatio ($3.20) by a long head.
“He’s still learning to do and a lot of growing up to do,” Snowden said.
“Even today he kept looking at that horse outside and was a bit reluctant to let go fully, but Peter (Robl) kept at him enough to win.”
