Snazzy Lass: Promising Start

If you have done your homework there is always a bargain or two to be had at the National Broodmare Sale. Just ask Newmarket Lodge proprietor John O'Brien; he purchased Cashacde, the subsequent dam of Ekstreme, Maradona and Pellegrini at the 2007 Sale for just $1,000, or Angela Williams; these days running the horse side of the historic Te Parae property just outside of Masteron; she bought Maggie O'Reilly, who has since left No Excuse Maggie and Showing Off, for $7,000 in 2009.

At $70,000, Snazzy Lass was more in the Smith and Caughey section of the Sale than the Warehouse end, but she could still prove to be a bargain, particularly if the ability that her first foal Flower Bomb showed on her raceday debut at Thames last week is any guide. Debuting over 1000m, the three-year-old daughter of One Cool Cat, favourite on the back of two unbeaten efforts at the trials, had all her rivals covered as she led to the turn, before suddenly running off. Considering the short length of the Thames straight her effort to regain her compass and get up and win by a length and a half was extraordinary.

Masteron Bloodstock agent Bruce Perry purchased the unraced Snazzy Lass from the draft of Bob Émery's Belvedere Farm at the 2009 National Broodmare Sale for his longtime client, Palmerston North breeder Roy Potter. With a K1 pedigree and in foal to One Cool Cat,  who at that stage was still very popular, she was the type of mare who would have fetched close to $200,000 in headier times but this was a gloomy wet Auckland winters afternoon and the Global Financial Crisis was in full swing.

One of the more savy domestic bloodstock agents, Perry's ability is varied but he seems to have a particular eye for broodmare talent. In 1999 he purchased a package of fillies for Roy Potter with an emphasis on their breeding potential. They included subsequent group one producers River Century and Jacqwin, as well as Cenphic, Igauazu (the granddam of Sacred Falls) and Rationable, who has since left Vincent Mangano and Vigor.

As a sidelight but showcasing Perry's versatility; he shopped well at the 2009 Sale, for besides Snazzy Lass, and a cheap mare for Little Avondale, his only other purchases were two weanlings; Good Towkay(Towkay), who cost $20,000 and has won over $100,000 in Singapore, and the very promising domestic sprinter Jubilate (Falkirk), who cost just $10,000.

Viscount the sire of Snazzy Lass was a high class racehorse best remembered for his unlucky and rather controversial third placing to Northerly and Sunline in the 2001 Cox Plate. His career in the breeding shed never quite attained the same heights although he did leave Champion Singapore sprinter Rocket Man. As a son of Champion broodmare stallion Quest For Fame from a stakeswinning Sir Tristram daughter of Diamond Lover, Viscount has the pedigree to be a stronger influence as a broodmare stallion.

A strongly made mare, particularly through the shoulder and hindquarter, Snazzy Lass has a blueprint broodmare pedigree. She is a daughter of Shirley Heights, who like his sire Mill Reef, has been such pronounced broodmare influence in all the major breeding jurisdictions, while her third dam is one of Juddmonte Farms foundation mares, something that would not have been lost on Perry, who has a good understanding of European bloodlines. It is the stallion producing family of Scenic, Rainbow Quest, Warning, Commander in Chief and the young Australian based sire Old Deuteronomy.

Flower Bomb has a two-year-old O'Reilly half sister, also retained by her breeder,and also in training with Peter and Dawn Williams. Snazzy Lass does not have a yearling but she recently foaled a Savabeel colt. She is due to be served by Little Avondale's new stallion Nadeem later this week.

The best efforts by a lot of the One Cool Cat stock tend to be early in their preparations and not many have the make-up to improve with racing so it would pay to not get too carried away with the potential of Flower Bomb, however the Thames effort showed she has some ability, indicating a promising start for her dam.