By Craig Kerry
Paul Snowden says he was dirty on racing and didn’t know if he was finished with the game after the split with his father, Peter, last year.
Now building his own team on a 60-acre property half an hour from the Port Macquarie track, Snowden is happy to be heading back to Randwick on Saturday with his first city runner, Lunaite, as a solo trainer since the end of his 10-year partnership with Peter 11 months ago.
Trainers Paul and Peter Snowden after a win in March 2019.Credit: Getty
Opening up for the first time about the split, Paul said: “We hadn’t been getting along for probably the last 10 years.
“We sort of kept it under wraps from everyone for a little while, so it was nothing new. I just wanted a change.
“I didn’t know if I was finished in the industry. I was dirty on it. I didn’t know if it was because of my work relationship with him, or I just needed to start again.
“After about a month I worked out, it’s just a job. Since I’ve been up here, it’s been good.”
The father-and-son team, with stables at Randwick and Flemington, was formed after their move away from Darley in 2014. They went on to win more than 1260 races, including 20 group 1s and the first two editions of The Everest, with Redzel.
Paul, though, said he had desires to go out on his own even before the partnership.
“I always knew I was going to be in his shadow all the time, and I didn’t want that,” he said.
“I wanted to make it my own way, but he said it’s too hard to get going if you do that. Then the first year we won seven group 1s, so you couldn’t say it was a bad one.
Trainer Paul Snowden.Credit: Getty
“I’m just dirty I didn’t do it earlier, but we are here now, so it doesn’t matter.”
Lunaite has been Paul’s only runner, winning her past two starts at Newcastle after a second on debut for the stable at Wyong. He has worked mostly with yearlings, while persistent rain has hampered efforts to complete his training track.
“I’ve tried to get some new blood in the stable. You start from scratch, you start from scratch,” he said.
“I bought a Godolphin horse last month online and I’ve got a runner at Port Macquarie on Tuesday that was down there with Peter and myself, so we’re starting to get a few runners and there will be some more shortly, but it’s just taken time.
“People get too big before they have any structure or business plan to go with it. I’ve seen it happen a few times and there’s probably a few around now that aren’t probably doing it the right way.
“I haven’t chased any horses, but if people have a city horse who wants a change of scenery, of course I’m going to take it, but I’ll just keep chipping away.”
He said his focus will be trying to get city-class horses to race in Sydney and south Queensland, and he was excited about Lunaite’s future.
The three-year-old Deep Field filly had one unplaced start for Chris Waller, and troubles at the barriers, before coming to Snowden. She was a $4.40 Sportsbet chance in the third, a benchmark 72 handicap (1300m), with Kerrin McEvoy on from gate 11. Peter has Sakima ($10) in the race.
“When I first got on it, I knew it was something decent,” Paul said.
“We won black-type races with fillies with a lot less ability than what she’s got, so I think they’re going to be in her future.”
