From barrier rogue to Championships hope: Lunaite’s redemption run for Paul Snowden

When Paul Snowden got his training licence on Christmas Eve in 2024, the first horse in his stable was Lunaite.

A barrier rogue with undoubted ability, she became Snowden’s project, and he was dreaming of Sunday’s Country Championships Qualifier at Port Macquarie, even back then.

“She was still a maiden and had a bad habit of flipping over in the barriers,” Snowden said. “She had multiple embargoes on her in the gates, and I had to get that right.

“I spent a lot of one-on-one time with her to get her trust.

“She’s pretty special to me.

“She was my first winner, but I always felt that she had black type ability. It was just a case of getting her out of the barriers to show it.”

Lunaite would win twice at Newcastle in May and Snowden was already planning for the Country Championships.

“They have to be in your stable for a year. and once I knew she fulfilled that, I wanted a couple of runs in town in a short summer preparation.

“Although she hasn’t won every race, it has been perfect preparation to get here.

“We got our Highway win with her and then she didn’t get the best of luck at Rosehill.”

The good thing for Lunaite is that it left her a Class 3 horse, giving her an added advantage under set weights conditions on Sunday.

Lunaite warmed up with a Taree barrier trial last week with raceday jockey Mitchell Bell in the saddle and has been backed from $2.70 into $2 for the Qualifier.

“Everything has gone to plan, now we need to qualify,” Snowden said. “I think you need a stakes horse to win the Final but that doesn’t matter unless you qualify.

“It is probably my biggest day since I got my own licence but she couldn’t be prepared any better.

“I think she will be better suited at 1400m in the Final than the 1200m on Sunday, but she has drawn a good gate and should be hard to beat.”