They say those that never relent have "a heart as big as Phar Lap".
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Jockey Josh Parr puts it a little more simply: "if they've got the ability, they'll find a way".
That is just what Final Award did as it triumphed in the 1400 metre Canberra Guineas with Parr on board at the Black Opal Stakes day at Thoroughbred Park on Sunday.
The three-year-old gelding surged past Laburnum and Major Wager, with favourite Yulong January falling well behind after star jockey Hugh Bowman withdrew to be with his ill wife Christine.
Bowman's absence threw Kerrin McEvoy into the saddle, but he couldn't rein in Final Award as it surged back to form following a forgettable last start at Warwick Farm.
"Nice to come here today in a big field and a nice, big spacious track which he appreciated. He is definitely a horse on the way up, he has come a long way in a short space of time," Parr said.
"How much further he goes this preparation might be a question mark, just based on a couple of things he did today, but winners are grinners.
"I’m glad he was able to come from the back of the field and win. If they’ve got the ability, they’ll find a way."
Find a way much like Peter and Paul Snowden's Snippets Land did to come up trumps in the 1400m National Sprint soon after.
Blake Shinn saw the eight-year-old gelding home past Who's Knocking and Levee Bank, with Snippets Land continuing a love affair with Thoroughbred Park to claim his second Listed National Sprint after doing the deed in 2015 when Hugh Bowman was on board.
Snippets Land has now raked in over $850,000 - not bad for a $120,000 yearling sale buy.
"This is probably the right race for him. At the carnival, it’s a bit too solid in the Autumn. We’ll go around the fringes, the Scone Cup is a possibility," Peter Snowden said.
"It’s just that listed group three race, he is always ultra-prepared. If you go to group two or group one, he is just three lengths short at that level. He has just been a great horse.
"It is probably his last preparation this time, we’ll find a home for him after this, but if he keeps winning it might be delayed another 12 months, we’ll see what happens."
