Sydney Autumn Carnival black-type success continued for Sledmere Stud graduates when the home-bred filly Snitzel Dancer scored a valuable win in the Group 3 James HB Carr Stakes (1400m) at Randwick.
A daughter of Sledmere Stud’s wonderful producer Novel Dancer, Snitzel Dancer went into the coveted 3-year-old event the winner of two of her previous six outings and broke through for her maiden Pattern Race success with a powerful late closing effort from well back in the 10 horse field.
Ridden to victory by Kerrin McEvoy for the Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou stable and her connections, Snitzel Dancer scored by three-quarters of a length from the previously unbeaten race favourite Plaintiff.
Speaking after the win, senior co-trainer Gerald Ryan stated in part: “We’ve liked her all the way along.
“We took her to Hawkesbury [at her previous start] and she beat the old horses with a big weight. Then we decided to back off her and aim at this race with the idea of going to Queensland.”
Ryan indicated that either the Queensland Guineas (1600m) or the Gold Coast Bracelet (1800m) will be her next assignment, “because I’ve always believed this filly will run 2000 metres” he explained. He also claimed that the Queensland Oaks (2200m) is also under consideration, adding: “It’s good to see her live up to what she’s shown all the way along.”
Snitzel Dancer became the second stakes winner produced by Novel Dancer, dam of five foals to race — all winners. Saturday’s Group 3 James HB Carr Stakes winner is a half-sister to dual stakes winner Pancho whose five victories included the Listed Melbourne TCL TV Stakes and Listed Kilmore Cup, and whose career earnings amounted to $785,475.
Snitzel Dancer’s notable black-type success follows closely on the heels of the exploits of Profoundly on Day 1 and Day 2 of The Championships. Foaled, raised and sold by Sledmere Stud, Profoundly won the Group 3 Adrian Knox Stakes (2000m) on the first day of The Championships before finishing a courageous second in the Group 1 Australian Oaks (2400m) at the same venue on the second.
Both Snitzel Dancer and Profoundly are members of the same Sledmere Stud foal crop, the former having been offered and sold at the 2024 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale and the latter at the 2024 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.