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Sydney horsemen Peter and Paul Snowden are no strangers to Caulfield Guineas success but there was something extra special about Shooting To Win's victory in Saturday's A$1 million race.
The emotion was there for all to see for Paul Snowden, five months after forming a training partnership with his father.
Shooting To Win chased down the favourite, Rich Enuff ($1.80), to give the father-and-son team its first group one triumph.
As head trainer for Sheikh Mohammed's Darley operation in Australia, Peter Snowden prepared Helmet (2011) and Long John (2013) to win the Guineas with Paul as Melbourne foreman.
This year they went out on their own and Paul Snowden fought tears after Shooting To Win wore down Rich Enuff.
"It means a lot," he said. "I never thought we would be on this sort of stage this early."
Shooting To Win ($7.50) was unraced before joining the Snowdens when they started building a team from scratch.
The colt was trained by John O'Shea, who replaced Snowden as Sheikh Mohammed's head trainer in Australia.
The Snowdens were convinced the last-start Stan Fox Stakes winner had the talent to win the Guineas and after Rich Enuff raced too keenly in front, jockey James McDonald and Shooting To Win were there to pounce.
Rich Enuff kicked on the turn as Almalad dropped off. But he couldn't put a margin on his rivals as he did in the Prelude and Shooting To Win kept finding a way to draw level and then surge clear.
Wandjina, a $101 chance, came in another length away third.
"We really trust his ability and it shone through today, thank God," Snowden said. "He's just a very special horse. From day one you just knew he was good."
Peter Snowden stayed in Sydney but Paul said it "meant everything" to notch the win with his father. "He wouldn't come down. He said, 'You know what you are doing.'"
While the Snowdens and McDonald were left to celebrate, trainer Ken Keys' wait for a first group one goes on.
Michael Rodd said Rich Enuff over-raced. "He probably only needed to relax for a furlong and he wins the race."
Keys, who has been training for 30 years and has been waiting for a headline horse like Rich Enuff, was gracious in defeat.
"It's disappointing, of course, that he didn't win," Keys said. "It will happen, eventually."
Earlier, after a frustrating run of second placings in feature races jockey Hugh Bowman finally saluted when Sydneysider Amicus won the Thousand Guineas.
Bowman had finished second in the two previous races: the Caulfield Stakes aboard Criterion before riding Speediness into second in the Toorak Hcp. This time the gods smiled upon Bowman as he guided the Chris Waller-trained Amicus ($10) to a three-quarter length victory over Traveston Girl (Damian Browne, $15) with Sabatini (James Macdonald, $19) a half-neck away third.
Bowman tracked the leader Traveston Girl into the home straight before taking over with 200m to run.
"Last weekend, the weekend before, I've had a little run of seconds," Bowman said. "They've had their chances but it's good to get one again."
Bowman said he knew Amicus was a good filly from the first time he had ridden the daughter of Fastnet Rock.
"I'm delighted to win on her," Bowman said. "I rode her at her first start and I won a maiden on her at her second start and I anticipated high things from her.
"I recommended to Chris that he put her out and aim for the Princess Series but he's brought her to Melbourne. He's given her the prep down here and if he hadn't I doubt she would have won."
Waller said no specific instructions had been issued to Bowman and a good break from the barriers had put the filly in a winning position.
"We left the instructions open to Hughie to go back or forward and fortunately she jumped well and settled well for him."
- AAP