Viddora’s quest for The Everest has begun in spectacular fashion after she outclassed her rivals to win the Magic Millions Snippets at the Gold Coast.
Trainer Lloyd Kennewell is spoilt for Group One choices with Viddora, the $2.50 favourite, who swept to victory on Saturday by 2-1/4 lengths from Snitzkraft ($14) with Egyptian Symbol ($2.90) a nose away third.
Viddora won the Group One Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot in November and will compete in more races at the elite level before her ultimate goal, The Everest (1200m) at Randwick in October.
“We’ve got a lot of options with her but ultimately we want to get to The Everest with her,” Kennewell said.
“We’ve been invited overseas as well and back home in Adelaide there are two Group One races worth a million dollars so I’ll send her to the paddock for 10 days and work out a plan.”
Kennewell said Viddora proved she was the best horse in the field in the Snippets.
“”She beat them like she was the best mare in Australia,” Kennwell said.
“Even though she didn’t have the best run in the race she pulled their pants down in the straight and was just too good for them.
“She didn’t have the best of runs and got sprayed on the turn and not many have come from as back as her but she showed a devastating turn of foot with the 59kg.”
Kennewell said Viddora had trained on so well following her Winterbottom victory he was confident the mare’s class would prevail on Saturday.
“She’s been well managed and she’s just a bloody good horse it’s as simple as that,” he said.
“She won’t have many runs between now and The Everest. That’s how she races and she loves it.
“As long as the picket fence keeps happening we’ll be happy.”
Winning jockey Joe Bowditch wasn’t concerned when Viddora was forced to cover ground on the home turn before starting her winning run.
“I had to make my move sooner than I wanted but I knew I was on the best horse in the race and I rode her accordingly,” Bowditch said.
One of Adelaide’s most successful jockeys, Bowditch had a successful stint riding in Queensland more than a decade ago, winning the 2006 Prime Minister’s Cup on Hard To Catch and 2009 Hollindale Stakes on Fulmonti.
He was suspended for eight weeks at Morphettville last month but was able to ride Viddora on a stay of proceedings pending an appeal which will be heard on January 25.
