Another Star Colt for Northern Meteor

He had sire prospect potential before the Group I MRC Caulfield Guineas, but after downing top class Victorian Rich Enuff to win the $1million feature at Caulfield on Saturday Shooting to Win has stamped himself as one of the most desirable colts in the country.

Super impressive when he won on debut at Kembla in late May, the Northern Meteor colt has been making steady progress this spring and capped it with a tenacious win in the time honoured Caulfield Guineas.

A last start winner of the Group II ATC Stan Fox Stakes after finishing third in the Group I ATC Golden Rose, the Peter and Paul Snowden trained Shooting to Win produced a new personal best to charge home an win by a neck for James McDonald.

Peter Snowden had won the Caulfield Guineas twice for Darley with Helmet and last year with Long John but left the global racing and breeding organisation earlier this year to establish a stable with son Paul.

“This means everything. They are all special but to win one in our name is something else,” Paul Snowden said.

“We came here confident, we trusted in his ability and it shone through today.

“James (McDonald) was aggressive early and got into a great spot and then relaxed. To tough it out like that was fantastic.”

A $160,000 Magic Millions purchase from the draft of Edinglassie Stud, Shooting to Win has the overall record of four wins and two placings from seven starts with prizemoney topping $900,000 .

Bought for well known owners Trevor Stuckey and Penny Yan by John O’Shea, who trained him before taking up the role of head trainer for Godolphin, Shooting to Win adds to the success of their previous star performers such as Racing to Win and Reigning to Win.

A full brother to boom four year-old Deep Field, who has won each of his three starts by a combined total of 20 lengths and lowered the track record at Canterbury  at his most recent win, Shooting to Win is the first stakes-winner for stakes-winning Elusive Quality (USA) mare Listen Here.

She comes from the Cotehele House (GB) branch of the Eight Carat (GB) family that has produced multiple Group I winner Danewin and leading sire Commands, so there is a lot of depth to this pedigree.

Deep Field and Shooting to Win are the first two foals from Listen Here, who has been covered this year by Northern Meteor’s dual Group I winning son Zoustar, so will produce a three-quarter sibling to Shooting to Win next spring.

Shooting to Win is the fourth Group I winner for ill-fated Northern Meteor, whose final crop of yearlings will sell in 2015.