Leading owner-breeder Santo Guagliardo commenced the Belmont winter season with a winning double on Saturday and it also foreshadowed his new venture at Ridgeport Farm in Waroona.
Guagliardo claimed the Group 3 Belmont Sprint with Bustler and his stablemate Snowdome was a more than welcome second-leg in the Morley Growers Market Hcp (1200m).
Snowdome is a promising 3yo colt by Ridgeport Farm’s foundation sire Rommel and Saturday’s result improved his strike-rate to 6 wins in 14 starts for a syndicate compromising trainer Neville Parnham and his wife Carol, Ridgeport Farm, Bob Pearson and Mike Fagan.
Photo: (L-R) Fagan, Pearson, Brad Parnham and Guagliardo / Western Racepix
Guagliardo followed up with an announcement that Rommel will stand for a $6,600 (inc GST) service fee at Ridgeport Farm which is located 5km north of Waroona. “He’s a gentleman and settled in straight away. It’s a beautiful property on 160 acres and we’re just off Whettem Road.”
Guagliardo and farm manager Marge Ojapõld will board mares booked into Rommel this season and further down the track it will expand into a fully-functional agistment facility. Ridgeport Farm will feature in the 2023 Westspeed Stallions Magazine published in the first week of June.
Meanwhile, Snowdome never looked like getting beaten with an all-the-way victory to send his earnings to $630,000 with Westspeed Platinum bonuses of $226,000. “He’s won three of his last four and we were confident after his work on Tuesday,” Neville Parnham said. “We slotted him into the right race and he was right in weight-wise, too.”
“He can win over 1000m fresh and he also won the (G3) WA Sires over 1400m last season but we’re happy to keep him at 1200m. He’s a good horse and showed a good turn of turn to kick away today.”
Snowdome is a younger full-brother to Pixie Chix who won last year’s RL Magic Millions WA 3YO Trophy (1200m) at Pinjarra. Their dam Snow Pixie (Snitzel) descends from the Aga Khan’s Group 1 winning family of Shemaka (Chantilly Prix de Diane) and Shakeel (Saint-Cloud Grand Prix de Paris).
Rommel (Commands) and Ridgeport’s Royal Blue & Lime Green diagonal-striped colours were also prominent at Belmont on Saturday with Ultimate Command and Catch These Hands who are among 8 individual winners by their in-form sire in the last month. For bookings or further information, please call Santo Guagliardo (0419 948 046) or Marge Ojapold (0497 478 231).
