Vale Snowdrift

The passing of a successful sire invariably makes news headlines but no less worth reflecting on is the loss of a blue hen.

Leading Hunter Valley nursery Cressfield have reported the sad passing of their star broodmare Snowdrift (Fr), who was euthanized last Sunday and buried next to another star producer in Palia.

Imported to Australia in 1998, the French bred Snowdrift started her stud career for Stratheden Stud and proved an immediate success with her first foal being a strapping son of Snippets that made $90,000 at the Magic Millions when snapped up by Gooree Stud.

He would race as Snowland and trained by Gai Waterhouse won nine races and over $1.1 million in prizemoney with the Group I ATC The Galaxy his highlight victory.

Her next three foals were all Black Type horses with stakes-placed Freeze and Snowden split by another stakes-winner in Snippetson.

Snowdrift changed hands twice in the sale ring at the Inglis Broodmare Sale, selling for $1,500,000 in 2005 when bought by Tyreel Stud and then again in 2010 when Keiran Moore purchased her as a 17 year-old for Cressfield for $775,000.

In latter years, she produced a string of expensive yearlings including the Red Ransom (USA) filly Portillo, who made $850,000 at Inglis Easter to the bid of Woodlands Stud and emerged as a multiple Group I placed Group II winner before finding success at stud for Godolphin as the dam of brilliant Group II winner Ghisoni.

Snowdrift produced 14 foals of which 11 raced and nine won, so it's been a long and successful stud career with her best sale ring a result a colt by Redoute's Choice that made $2.5 million in 2008 for Tyreel Stud when bought by Darley.

"This picture (above)  was taken with her second last foal at foot when she was 21 years young," said Cressfield Stud Manager Liesl Baumann.

"She then went straight back in foal to deliver a Snitzel colt the following year after which she was retired to live out her days at Cressfield.

"She was paddock mates with Champagne for a long time before frailty saw her needing a slower quieter paddock friend and lived out her days with our lovely mare Personify."

Cressfield are hoping the Snowdrift family can deliver another sale ring success at the upcoming Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

"We acquired Snowdrift in foal to Red Ransom in 2010 as a 17yr old and she foaled a filly that spring which we retained called Adelie," Baumann said.

"Adelie has a Redoute's Choice filly catalogued in the upcoming Easter sale asLot 349. Snowdrift not only produced wonderful racehorses, she was also incredibly fertile, producing five more foals for us before being retired."