Snitzerland gives Werrett fourth Lightning

Saturday 15 February 2014, 4:41pm

An owner who jokes that he endured 30 years of bad horses demonstrated yet again the value of persistence when Snitzerland gave him his fourth consecutive victory in the Lightning Stakes (1000m).

It's true Neil Werrett had gone a long while without a headline horse - but when his luck changed it couldn't be stopped.

Werrett came to prominence as the man who took a punt seven years ago and bought the yearling that became the champion mare Black Caviar.

Along with a group of friends, Werrett and the rest of Australia cheered Black Caviar through an unbeaten 25-win career that included three successive Lightning Stakes.

With Black Caviar now preparing for motherhood, Werrett returned to Flemington and the mare's favourite race on Saturday with Snitzerland, and won it again.

"This is a real triumph," Werrett said.

"To win the race Black caviar won three times is an incredible experience.

Werrett paid tribute to trainer Gerald Ryan who he said had worked hard to help Snitzerland recover from her demanding spring campaign to score her first Group One win.

"We were a bit worried about her after the spring," he said.

"But Gerald has managed her extremely well. Today was proof of it."

Snitzerland hadn't raced since finishing second over Saturday's course and distance in November, but had indicated she was ready with a six-length barrier trial win earlier this month.

She repeated the form on race day to knock over a field of well-performed sprinters in possibly the best of her eight wins.

Snitzerland ($5) raced on the speed throughout, took the lead 250m out and scored convincingly by a half length from Shamexpress ($7.50) with a further length to the favourite Samaready ($3.10).

Shamexpress, the reigning Newmarket Handicap champion, looked likely to test Snitzerland at the 200m as he ranged up with Damien Oliver sitting quietly.

But he had no answer for Snitzerland's turn of foot, running on well without threatening.

Trainer Danny O'Brien said the 1000m proved his horse's undoing and he would be better suited in the Newmarket (1200m) at Flemington on March 8.

Samaready appeared likely to drop out when off the bit at the half-way mark but got herself together and ran a respectable race.

As successful as the Lightning proved to be for the mature, experienced sprinters it was a disaster for the two-year-olds who tried to exploit the weight-for-age scale and sneak some Group One success.

Boomwaa, a youngster whose only win has been over the Flemington 1000m, needed a greater advantage than his 46kg provided, finishing 10th while the other juvenile, Bugatty, ran eighth after showing early speed.

For the once-unlucky Werrett, the story continues in the Blue Diamond Stakes at Flemington next week where he runs second favourite Rubick, possibly the country's best two-year-old colt.

– AAP

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