Sandbar Slipper hope for Flower
Sandbar’s owner Damion Flower wants nothing more than for the colt to win the Golden Slipper.
The Golden Slipper means different things to different people.
For some it results in a multi-million stud deal, for others like She Will Reign’s large group of owners it is the excitement of a $20,000 filly winning a $3.5 million race.
For high-profile owner Damion Flower whose colt Sandbar runs in this year’s Slipper as one of the supported runners, it means everything.
“It would mean the world to me if he won,” Flower said.
Thirteen years ago, Flower went to Rosehill full of hope and expectation with his colt Snitzel the Golden Slipper favourite.
The dream was shattered early in the race when Snitzel was galloped on and finished eighth behind Stratum.
Both colts were by Redoute’s Choice, the 1999 Blue Diamond Stakes winner who had been the raging favourite for the Slipper until his scratching on race day.
Snitzel did get his Group One win a year later in the Oakleigh Plate in which Stratum was unplaced.
At the end of their three-year-old seasons, Stratum went to Widden Stud and became a successful sire while Snitzel went to Arrowfield to stand alongside his father and became a champion.
Flower has continued his association with Snitzel, buying many of his sons and daughters hoping for the one that might turn out to be as good.
Has also invested heavily in his Platinum Park stables at Hawkesbury with Brad Widdup his trainer.
Sandbar is a son of Snitzel and Flower has recruited some powerful partners to race the colt including John Singleton and Neil Werrett.
The colt appears to have inherited many of his sire’s qualities including an ability to handle wet tracks which he is likely to encounter at Rosehill on Saturday.
“He is like Snitzel and is out of a beautiful Street Cry mare (Tallow),” Flower said.
“He also has a beautiful nature and is a push-button horse but at the same time he is really tough. He is a fighter.”
Sandbar was at $14 on race eve with Sunlight and Written By still holding sway at $4.60 and $5 respectively.
Widdup, who left a job as foreman at Godolphin last May to take up the opportunity with Flower, hopes the rain-affected track works in Sandbar’s favour.
“The rain is the X-factor,” he said.
“We know he handles it but we don’t know about some of the others.”
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