A TRIP TO ROMA REIGNITES SNOWFIRE

By Graham Potter | Saturday, November 19, 2022

Toowoomba to Roma … that’s a 350km trip up the via the Warrego Highway/A2 (a 750km round trip) so of you travel a horse to Roma from Toowoomba, you would want to get something back for your trouble.

The Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership achieved that desired result on November 19 when the six-year-old chestnut gelding Snowfire saluted in a Class 6 Handicap over 1200m at Roma, winning by 0.75 lengths at a starting price of $3.30.

It had been a little while between drinks for the son of Star Witness as Snowfire’s previous win had come six starts back on April 20, but after quick freshen up and being given an easier task than his last run at the Gold Coast in a Class 6 Handicap over 1300m on October 15, Snowfire regained his winning touch under Nozi Tomizawa to claim the seventh win of his career.

But, Snowfire did it the hard way.

He jumped from a wide (number 8) barrier draw and he was pushed up into fourth spot early and then he was up to third place approaching the home turn, but he was never better than three wide.

Snowfire straightened still with two runners ahead of him, but it quickly became apparent he was going better than his two immediate rivals and Tomizawa took Snowfire into the lead with 150m left to run.

Laurie ($5.50) was also running on down the outside of the track at that stage though and, for a moment, it looked like Laurie might test the Sears trained runner over the concluding stages but, in spite of the tough run, Snowfire stayed on strongly enough to get the result by a 0.75 length margin.

It was a special win for Tomizawa, who only returned to race riding eight days earlier after a serious injury enforced layoff had seen him sidelined for a full ten months.

Snowfire was Tomizawa’s first win back in the saddle in this new phase of his career.