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Snowdrop will head for a deserved break after completing her four-year-old season on a perfect note at Te Rapa.
The well-related mare continued her impressive progress with victory in Saturday’s SVS Veterinary Supplies 1200 for her sixth career win bringing the curtain down on a lucrative campaign.
“She needs good ground and she doesn’t go on off tracks at all so that’s it for her,” trainer Tony Pike said.“We’ve run out of time to have a crack at something decent so she’ll be having a nice break now.”
Raced by Waikato Stud’s Garry and Mark Chittick, Snowdrop is a valuable daughter of Pins and the farm’s multiple Group One winner Daffodil.“She’s strengthened each preparation she’s had and it was a bit unfortunate that she wasn’t quite strong enough as a three-year-old to chase some black type,” Pike said.
“We’ll be looking at some of the better sprints for her in the late spring and early summer. The set weights and penalties races won’t suit her, but down in the handicaps in some of the other good races she’ll be competitive.”A winner at Trentham in January, Snowdrop returned from a break to score in style last month at Ellerslie where she was ridden by apprentice Ryan Elliot and the 17-year-old gave another polished display on the four-year-old at Te Rapa.
“He’s ridden her very well both times,” Pike said. “He was patient and didn’t panic and waited for the gap in the straight.”Snowdrop came out of the trail 200 metres from home and was too good for Airlie House and the three-year-old Amarula.