“Tremendous things are in store for you.”
To paraphrase ‘Willy Wonka’, Steve White is hoping he’s once again “the lucky finder of this Golden Ticket” when Professor Snitch commences her $90,000 Group 3 Golden Ticket (520m) campaign at Albion Park on Thursday night.
Professor Snitch lines up in one of four x four-dog shootouts, with first and second from each heat progressing to the final on January 18.
The final – carrying a $60,000 first prize – will consist of four x two-dog match races.
Match races will be seeded on heat times from fastest to slowest (1v2, 3v4, 5v6, 7v8). Final placings will be determined by the overall run times from fastest to slowest.
The Golden Ticket final winner receives the ‘Golden Ticket’ – automatic entry into the $375,000 Group 1 Gold Bullion final (winner: $250,000) on February 1.
White took home the ‘chocolates’ when superstar Sennachie secured the 2019 Golden Ticket (December 26) – 2020 Gold Bullion (January 10) – semaphoring a sizzling 29.39sec and 29.41sec respectively. (The Gold Bullion was his final race.)
“If she could emulate ‘dad’, it would be just great… It would be fantastic to win with his daughter.”
In fact, Sennachie defeated NSW champ Good Odds Harada by a massive 10.25 lengths in the Gold Bullion.
And now Professor Snitch – a daughter of Sennachie – is ultimately out to emulate her father!
“If she could emulate ‘dad’, it would be just great,” White said. “It would be fantastic to win with his daughter.
“I get excited when I see his pups racing. He’s really flying at stud.”
White advised Sennachie – a three-time G1 winner and six-time G1 finalist – is leaving imposing traits in his progeny.
“They’ve got great temperaments, and they get better and better with age. You also don’t ‘hear boo’ from them; they’re great kennel dogs.”
White, who recently returned from a holiday to Canada, is confident of Professor Snitch’s prospects in the Golden Ticket. (She’s being handled by caretaker trainer Trevor Lindsay during the series.)
“I think she can win on Thursday night. They’re not reasonably quick beginners and I think it’s just a matter of who she would draw in the two-dog format the following week.
“She’s not brilliant early either but can muster quickly and is very strong. She’s also had time to settle in as she’s been up there just over three weeks. (Professor Snitch produced a slick 29.72sec win last week at Albion Park.)
“Her only downfall is she’s average early out of the boxes. If she could ping like her father, her record would look far better.
“He was just one special dog – an explosive beginner! He had all the qualities – and sectionals – to win Group 1 races.”
White says winning the Golden Ticket is “worth its weight in gold!”. “You get the extra week’s break and the luxury of a freshen up.”
And the statistics certainly back up his statement.
Crazy Cool (Qld) and Kooringa Lucy (NSW) – winners of the 2021 and 2022 Golden Ticket – both finished runner-up in the Gold Bullion.
And local idol Jay Is Jay dead-heated for first in last year’s Golden Ticket prior to finishing second in the Gold Bullion. Incidentally, he’s contesting this year’s Golden Ticket.
Ironically, Jay Is Jay and Blue Hornet – which is also in a Golden Ticket heat – are sons of Sennachie.
“I think he (Sennachie) has three live chances and each capable of claiming the Gold Bullion,” White said.
Hello Mike – last year’s Gold Bullion winner – will also contest a Golden Ticket heat.
Professor Snitch – a winner of 11 races (with four seconds and three thirds) from 26 starts – last year won the G3 Warragul St Leger and was a finalist in the G1 Maturity Classic and G3 Sir John Dillon Memorial.
Pawnote: The Tim Britton-trained Multi Matt and Captain Larry are also Victorian flagbearers in the Golden Ticket series.
WATCH: SENNACHIE (B5) makes a one-act affair of the 2020 G1 Gold Bullion.
