Tag Archive for: Snellen

Snellen seeking further Bahrain success for Cromwell

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Gavin Cromwell’s Snellen is bidding for more Bahrain success as she prepares to represent Ireland in the Al Dana Cup on Friday.

The Expert Eye filly, who takes her name from the inventor of the eye test chart, was a Royal Ascot winner as a juvenile when coming out on top in the Listed Chesham Stakes in 2023.

Now a four-year-old, the bay travelled to Bahrain in the latter months of last year and made her first start outside of England or Ireland in the Al Muharraq Cup on December 20.

There she was ridden by Gary Carroll and from stall 16 prevailed by a length and three-quarters to become the first Irish-trained winner in the country.

She has remained at the track since and is now preparing to line up again, this time for the Al Dana Cup run over the same 10-furlong trip.

Drawn in stall four and ridden by Scott McCullagh, the filly has more to contend with this time as she has received a significant hike in the handicap.

“She’s very well, we’re looking forward to running her,” said Cromwell.

“She has gone up in the handicap and is carrying a lot more weight, but she has a nice draw and she seems in good order.

“We were pleased with her last time, she had basically only just got off the plane so it’s a slightly different scenario now and she seems to have settled in really well.”

There are no further Irish-trained runners in the race, but British yards are well represented with George Baker’s Lucander, Jack Channon’s Majestic, Charlie Johnston’s Lion Of War, Hugo Palmer’s Box To Box, George Boughey’s Mr Alan and Marco Botti’s Soldier’s Empire all set to run.

There is more British interest in the Al Riffa Cup By BBK, where the George Scott-trained Rocket Rodney looks to regain the title he won by three-quarters of a length in 2023.

The gelding is owned by Victorious Racing and took the six-furlong event under Callum Shepherd during a winter spell in the Middle East.

After a domestic turf campaign he returned to Bahrain late last year and will be ridden by Liam Wright from stall six having kicked off his stint with an unplaced run in the Al Manama Cup.

“He ran a bit below-par on his first run out here this season, but he’s stepping back up to six furlongs now,” said Scott.

“He’s on a mark that he’s capable of winning off, but he would need things to fall right for him this time.

“He has a similar profile to when he went into the race last year, but he is another year older and he’s had a busy time.

“I couldn’t tell you he is improving, but he might be able to hold his form and hopefully that will be enough.”

Many of the same trainers have runners in both Bahrain Turf Series events, with Baker saddling Get It and Kiwano, Botti set to run Jehangeer, Palmer represented by Roman Dragon and Boughey running both Spangled Mac and Walbank.



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Snellen on redemption trail at the Curragh this weekend

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Gavin Cromwell’s Royal Ascot winner Snellen will bid to return to form in the Staffordstown Stud Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday.

The Expert Eye filly was a winner on debut at Limerick in June, taking a seven-furlong maiden by three-quarters of a length in a field of 14.

Subsequently the two-year-old scored at Royal Ascot on her second run when landing the Listed Chesham Stakes at 12-1, coming home half a length ahead of Aidan O’Brien’s Pearls And Rubies.

Her next appearance was a step up to Group Two level in the Debutante Stakes at the Curragh, but she never seemed to be on a going day as she unseated Gary Carroll ahead of the start and then came home last of all.

Jockey Gary Carroll celebrates after winning the Chesham Stakes with horse Snellen on day five of Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse
Jockey Gary Carroll celebrates after winning the Chesham Stakes with horse Snellen on day five of Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse (John Walton/PA)

An obvious cause for the uncharacteristic run never surfaced, but Cromwell has been happy with Snellen since and a return to action at the same track is planned for Saturday’s one-mile Group Three.

“We’re aiming her at the Curragh on Saturday, we’re hoping that not too much rain comes,” the trainer said.

“She seems to be back to herself and we’re hopeful of a nice run.

“She just wasn’t herself at all, she got very agitated and we never really got to the bottom of it but she seems to be back to herself now.”

There has been some encouraging collateral form since Royal Ascot, with Pearls And Rubies subsequently finishing second in the Group One Cheveley Park Stakes, to which Cromwell said: “That was very good to see.”



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Snellen seeking to make Debutante impact

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Royal Ascot winner Snellen puts her unbeaten record on the line when she steps up in grade for the Alpha Centauri Debutante Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday.

Gavin Cromwell’s daughter of Expert Eye made a winning bow at Limerick in June and was immediately sent to Royal Ascot where she quickly added to her tally in the Chesham Stakes.

Having given a glimpse of her potential in those two early outings, the classy youngster now moves in to Group Two company following a break, with a big autumn lying ahead of her.

“We gave her a short break after Ascot and she’s done well since and we’re looking forward to Saturday,” said Cromwell.

“She’s going to have to come forward, but we’re hopeful she has done. Everything has been straightforward with her since Ascot.

“We gave her a break after Ascot to plan an autumn campaign and hopefully this is just the start of it.”

Pearls And Rubies was sent off the 7-4 favourite when beaten a head by Snellen in the Chesham and Aidan O’Brien’s daughter of No Nay Never is likely to be a warm order once again following a further silver medal in the Anglesey Stakes.

That most recent outing came over six and a half furlongs, but she returns to slightly further now on the advice of her big-race pilot Ryan Moore in a race the stable have a fine record in.

“She’s in good form and she won’t mind an ease in the ground either,” said the master of Ballydoyle.

“We were a little bit disappointed with her the last day but Ryan (Moore) said to maybe go a bit further, he said she was coming home well but the line just came too quick for her.”

She is the sole Ballydoyle representative, while Willie McCreery’s Vespertilio and Donnacha O’Brien’s Mysteries finished second and third behind Ylang Ylang in the Silver Flash Stakes last month and will be hoping to take advantage of the 1000 Guineas favourite’s absence here.

Mysteries’ handler felt his filly paid the price for trying to take on Ylang Ylang at Leopardstown and different tactics will be employed on this occasion.

O’Brien said: “We will probably ride her a bit more patiently this time and we probably rode her to try to beat Ylang Ylang at Leopardstown and maybe paid for it.

“She’s in good form and we have always thought she is a nice filly, so hopefully she will run well.”



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Chesham victor Snellen has summer targets closer to home

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Gavin Cromwell is eyeing a possible crack at the Debutante Stakes before bidding for Group One glory in the Moyglare Stud Stakes with his Royal Ascot winner Snellen.

The unbeaten filly just held on in a tight finish from Aidan O’Brien’s Pearls And Rubies in the Chesham over seven furlongs on Saturday.

Incredibly she was just Cromwell’s second Royal Ascot runner, with the first, Quick Suzy, winning the Queen Mary in 2021.

“It was great, pinch yourself kind of stuff really, to be honest. Very exciting and enjoyable, and a brilliant experience,” said Cromwell.

“She came home fine, 100 per cent. We’ll give a little break for a few weeks and we’ll make a plan.

“She’s entered in the Moyglare (September 10, Curragh) and has the Debutante (August 19, Curragh) as an option on the way as well. She’s home safe and sound and that’s the main thing.

“Ascot is a brilliant place and its very special to win there. Quick Suzy won there two years ago and there was only a small crowd after covid.

“There was a full house on Saturday and a massive atmosphere. It was a big occasion.

“We’re two from two there now so I’ll have to be very selective to keep up that strike-rate!”



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Snellen denies Pearls And Rubies in Chesham

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Snellen just held off the late lunge of favourite Pearls And Rubies to provide Champion Hurdle-winning trainer Gavin Cromwell with a second Royal Ascot winner.

Sent off at 12-1 having won on her only previous outing at Limerick, she was produced with a well-timed challenge by Gary Carroll.

With a furlong to run there were any amount still in with a chance, but Carroll’s mount took a length out of the field.

That should have put the race to bed but Snellen began to drift to her left, allowing Pearls And Rubies and Ryan Moore a chance to close the gap. Unfortunately for favourite-backers, though, there was still a head between them when the line came.

Golden Mind and 125-1 shot Oddyssey dead-heated for third.

Cromwell said: “She’s been nice from the word go and is just progressing all the time.

“Her dam won over a mile and a half so I think she’ll stay further. I haven’t thought about Classics, we’ll enjoy today first.

“I’ve been very fortunate to have had two runners at this meeting and both are winners.
“Quick Suzy was a very different type of filly. She won the Queen Mary and was very much a two-year-old.

“This filly has more scope and is much more of a long-term prospect.”

He added: “She’s in the Moyglare and that’s the obvious race for her.

“I didn’t have a Royal Ascot runner until two years ago and said I wouldn’t come to the meeting until I had a runner.”

Carroll – who also rode Quick Suzy – paid tribute to Cromwell.

He said: “Gavin Cromwell is doing some job with these horses, without a doubt. Whether it’s three miles or five furlongs, he gets the best out of everything. But Gavin, all he wants to do is improve, there’s no airs or graces. He said he went down and spent a day with Joseph O’Brien, last year spent a day with Paddy Twomey, even to just try to pick up something. His results are showing.”

Of the Aidan O’Brien-trained runner-up, owner Richard Henry said: “She went to win her race, and maybe got a bit lonely on her own. She has run a great race. She will come on for the run. She is a sweet filly. Ryan thinks she could be very good.”



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