Chasing cows secret to Snowden galloper's Highway win
By Clinton Payne - https://www.racenet.com.au/news/paul-snowdens-unconventional-approach-has-unlocked-navy-buoys-talent-from-maiden-to-randwick-winner-20251220

Chasing cows in a paddock is the method used by astute trainer Paul Snowden to prepare Saturday's impressive Highway Handicap winner Navy Buoy.

The four-year-old son of Merchant Navy has developed into one of country NSW's most promising gallopers since joining Snowden's Port Macquarie yard and unconventional training methods have been the secret to success.

"To be truthful, what I do with this horse in between runs is extremely minimal," Snowden said.

"I don't think a lot of trainers would do what I do with this horse but it seems to work with this guy.

"A bit of swimming and out in the paddock chasing some cows around.

"Just let him be a horse and he prepares himself."

Navy Buoy ($4.20 fav) led throughout to defeat Luke Pepper's Sacred Mistress ($21) by 3¼ lengths with the Lou Mary-trained Off The Scale ($12) a neck away in third in the 1600m contest at Royal Randwick.

Winning jockey Tommy Berry said he knew he was set to ride a "nice horse" when he got the call from Snowden to ride the gelding.

"I've ridden for Paul long enough now to know if he says one goes OK, it goes OK because he's put his hands on enough good horses and he knows what he's talking about," Berry said.

"He knows how to place then and what he needs to bring down here to be winning.

"He gave me a lovely ride and when I asked to see what was under the hood, I wasn't disappointed."

"He's a bit better than the normal Highway horse."

Navy Buoy has won three of his four starts since joining Snowden's boutique team by a combined margin of 9¼ lengths for earnings of $86,250 in four starts.

"He came to us as a six start maiden," Snowden said.

"We knew he could gallop but it was a case of trying to find what flicked the switch to get that bit of X-factor out of him.

"He's here now."

Snowden indicated another Highway or a Benchmark race could be Navy Buoy's next assignment without a date being set but his trainer believes the lightly raced galloper should continue his march through the grades in 2026.

"He's had a couple of runs close together so I'll just get him home and do his usual drill in the paddock for a week or so," he said.

"His future is bright and we'll keep chipping away at his grades.

"After he won at Armidale, I told the owners at this time of the year he can win in town.

"Hopefully he can continue to progress and he might find himself in a Port (Macquarie) Cup next year."