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Snitzerland’s autumn campaign has kicked off with the mare posting her first Group 1 victory in the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes at Flemington.
The Gerald Ryan-trained mare’s spring campaign was cut short due to a respiratory problem and was treated for it during her latest spell.
Snitzerland showed she was back on course when scorching around her home track in a 900m Rosehill trial victory prior to resuming last Saturday.
The Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (1000m) had of course been dominated by the events namesake during the previous three renewals so racegoers last Saturday were treated to a far more open event in 2014.
Mares Snitzerland and Samaready as well as colt Bernabeau sat at the top of betting with Flemington specialist Shamexpress also prominent.
While not possessing a sprinter of Black Caviar’s standard, the addition of two-year-olds Boomwaa and Bugatty added another point of interest to the event.
Snitzerland was always prominent throughout, sitting second alongside Bernabeu while Brilliant Bisc led the pair marginally on the outside.
While her younger rivals had come off the bit well before the 300m, Snitzerland strode to the front sweetly and responded well when asked upon by Brenton Avdulla approaching the final furlong.
Snitzerland held off Shamexpress with race favourite Samaready a closing third.
Bugatty and Boomwaa couldn’t match motors with the older horses finishing eighth and tenth respectively.
Their participation in the 2014 Lightning Stakes means 29 two-year-olds have contested the event for two wins – Ritmar (1959) and Desirable (1976) and one plagetter Clever Zoe who ran second in 1993 behind Schillaci.
Snitzerland’s maiden Group 1 win was awarded a Timeform rating of 121, equal to her master figure.
Her victory came in well below the prior five year winning average of the event which of course had been taken out on three occasions during the period by Black Caviar.
The success continued the dominance of the fairer sex in the Lightning Stakes with eight of the past 16 winners back to Isca in 1999 being fillies or mares.
Snitzerland was also the 21st winner in the past 27 renewals to claim the sprint feature first up.
The victory was jockey Brenton Avdulla’s fourth at Group 1 level and first since winning the 2011 Epsom Handicap (1600m) aboard the Grahame Begg-trained Secret Admirer.
A master figure of 121 was first achieved by Snitzerland when she hit the ground running last autumn in the 2013 Group 2 Challenge Stakes (1000m) at Warwick Farm.
This is likely to be Snitzerland’s next assignment with trainer Gerald Ryan expecting his mare will now receive too much weight in the Newmarket Handicap.
A Newmarket Handicap win would see her become the sixth horse to achieve the Lightning Stakes – Newmarket Handicap double.
The Newmarket Stakes appears unlikely though with the four-year-old already shaping as being hard to beat in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes looking at the way she has returned this autumn.
A concern though is looking at her last two full campaigns and how the daughter of Snitzel has failed to replicate or build upon the figure she produced fresh.
Her three start autumn campaign in 2013 began with a career best success in the Challenge Stakes.
Snitzerland’s form figure declined in her following two runs.
The same could be said for a lengthy spring campaign in 2012.
Commencing with a success in the San Domenico Stakes assessed at 117p, her form figure waned with each of her five subsequent outings.
Clever placement by trainer Gerald Ryan resulted in her winning a further two events during that preparation against lesser company.
There is no denying Snitzerland’s quality when on song and perhaps the respiratory ailment which cut last campaign short played a roll in the rating’s trend seen during her past two campaigns.
Whatever the autumn now holds for Snitzerland, the mare has claimed an all important Group 1 victory and having previously placed twice at the highest level, the 2014 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes has become the jewel in her crown.