Snowland gelding lands Hobartville Stakes

Snowland came in from the cold to sire controversial G2 Hobartville Stakes winner Wild And Proud at Rosehill on Saturday.

Wild And Proud (3g Snowland – Blab by Flying Spur) is a homebred for Gooree Pastoral owner Eduardo Cojuangco and he won the Group 2 on protest from odds-on favourite Manawanui.

The Gai Waterhouse trained gelding won a Wyong maiden in January and then captured a Rosehill restricted race in February.  Wild And Proud and Hot Snitzel were the victims in an incident-packed Hobartville leaving stewards no alternative but to amend the finishing order.

Waterhouse, who was double-handed in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic protest in January, said it was a disappointing way to win.  “But Wild And Proud is the most improved horse at Tulloch Lodge,” she claimed.  “Now we’re off to the Randwick Guineas.”

His sire Snowland retired to Widden Stud after a career highlighted by a G1 triumph in the 2003 The Galaxy at Randwick.  Star filly Absolut Glam arrived in his first crop but sub-par fertility issues cut short his commercial prospects.

After a brief detour to Macquarie Stud, Snowland (Snippets) is back home at Gooree where he has sired just one foal since 2009.

Wild And Proud is the 25th stakes winner for Arrowfield champion Flying Spur as a broodmare sire.  His dam Blab was a Listed winner of the Silver Jubilee Stakes at Moonee Valley and his second dam is a half-sister to Bounding Away.

A winner of six Group 1 contests ranging from the STC Golden Slipper to the AJC Oaks, Bounding Away was bred, owned and raced by Gai’s father T J Smith.