Photo: Kenton Wright, Race Images
This year’s phenomenal rise of Snazzytavi (Tavistock) was fittingly capped off in the Gr.1 Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic (2000m) on Boxing Day, but another star mare didn’t let her away with an easy victory in the Ellerslie feature.
Snazzytavi, owned by race sponsors Brendan and Jo Lindsay, has been carefully handled by trainers Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall, having just her 15th start on Thursday. The mare’s eight victories to date included the Gr.3 Easter Handicap (1600m), Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) and Gr.2 Cal Izuzu Stakes (1600m), the latter a performance that deemed her near-unbeatable in the eyes of the punters, who backed her into $2 favouritism for the Zabeel Classic.
The main danger was always perceived as La Crique, a multiple Group One-winning miler who finished second to Ladies Man in the Gr.1 TAB Mufhasa Classic (1600m) earlier this month, the pair closing second and third-favourite respectively.
Snazzytavi and La Crique jumped alongside each other in unison and La Crique settled off the fence in fifth, with the favourite hot on her heels in the trail under Warren Kennedy. El Vencedor took up his favourite role as pacemaker and after stealing a few cheap sectionals, showed plenty of kick early in the straight and set a task for the two mares.
Snazzytavi got off the back of La Crique and put a half-length on her at the 100m, but as they caught El Vencedor, La Crique showed her class, kicking back and making it desperately close on the line.
By the narrowest of margins, Snazzytavi was eventually announced the winner, with Kennedy quietly confident the result would go his way.
“On the line I thought I had it, but I must give credit to La Crique as she was super brave and came back at me,” he said. “This mare (Snazzytavi) showed a lot of bravery and stuck her neck out.
“We were worried about the pace and they did end up crawling, I got on the back of La Crique where I wanted to be as I thought Nabba (Michael McNab) would give me a good pull into it.
“It was a fantastic win, you don’t want to go down on a $1.80 favourite and you don’t want it to be that close, but we’re all here for the spectacle and it was a great fight. I’m very proud of her that she got on top.
“It’s taken a bit of time, we always thought she had ability, but for her to bring it to the fore like this is just fantastic. For Brendan and Jo, obviously they have been huge supporters of me, so to win the race they sponsor is really special.
The victory was Richardson and Norvall’s third success in the $500,000 contest in four years, after victories with Tiptronic (2021) and Defibrillate (2022). Unlike their previous winners, Richardson hadn’t been certain on the line, but was elated with the result.
“I thought she’d been rolled then, we were sure we’d run second, but gosh, she’s a good horse isn’t she?” he said.
“It was a strong field and she’s just beaten a very good horse, they are two of the better mares in the country so I’m over the moon. She’s come a long way, I think that’s her 15th start and I don’t know what she’s earned for that, but that’s incredible.
“What a thrill, I said to them (Brendan and Jo Lindsay) that we would set her for this race for you guys, so it’s unbelievable.”
Bred by Suncroft Bloodstock, Snazzytavi is by the late Cambridge Stud stallion Tavistock, out of a Group Two performing-mare in Ritzy Lady. In 15 appearances, she has earned over $970,000 in stakes for Cambridge Stud, who recorded wins earlier on the card with Romala and About Time.
The Zabeel Classic also continues the lucrative $1 million Rich Hill Champion Middle Distance Series, with Snazzytavi now taking the outright lead with 10 points over El Vencedor (7), with La Crique and Ladies Man on 6. With six qualifying races remaining, the series culminates on Champions Day with the Gr.1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m).
