He may have been the best part of a year between runs at Canterbury on Friday, but the Keith Dryden and Libby Snowden-trained Everido made a winning return under lights.
Tyler Schiller was in the saddle as the 5YO Supido gelding took on the 1100m Benchmark 72 Handicap.
The pair travelled a little worse than midfield on the rails from gate three, and after turning for home, the heavens opened, and Schiller pushed Everido into the gap and onto a thrilling photo finish victory.
“Full credit to Tyler,” Snowden told Country Punter.
“It’s Friday night, and some of them don’t want to be there as they are riding in big races on the Saturday, but Tyler was there to get it done; he hasn’t changed a bit and is just a really good guy and jockey.”
For the stable, the win was a long time coming, with Everido a talented galloper plagued by soreness and subsequent time away from the track.
“It’s been a lot of concentrated hard work, and some ups and downs, but we got him back, and he got himself back,” Snowden said.
“He did get soreness, and there was nothing broken, fractured, or torn, but he did get a lot of bone bruising.
“We went forward and backward with him, and we weren’t sure of the road ahead until recently.
“He had a good trial, then a let-up, then another good trial, and we wanted to be careful with him and have him 100% right for race day.
“Even going to the races on Friday, there was a question mark there, but he came out and went great, and he looks like he has come through the run great and pulled up well.”
The focus now for Everido will likely be on the 2026 Country Championships, starting with the $150,000 South East qualifier at the Sapphire Coast on Sunday, March 1.
“It’s immediate and makes sense, and he performed well last year before he went out, and the main thing is that he pulled up well and is fit for it,” Snowden said.
The Dryden and Snowden operation has kicked off 2026 in good style, landing doubles at Moruya on January 5 and the Sapphire Coast on February 1, along with victories at Wagga on January 11, Moruya on January 23, and Everido’s metropolitan success on Friday night.
“We’re getting on a roll again,” Snowden said.
“We had a quiet year, but some of those good horses that were out for extended spells or had time off have all come back.
“It’s exciting to have some nice horses racing.”
Dryden and Snowden turn their attention to Wagga on Monday, where five gallopers will go around.
The stable’s best chance appears to be the up-and-coming Ring Of Fire (Blaike McDougall) in the 1600m Maiden Plate.
The team will also start Aerial Response (Jess Brookes) and Capital Babe (Jack Martin) in the 1200m Maiden Plate, Missile Leader (Jess Brookes) in the 1200m Class Four Handicap, and Diamond Frost (Nick Heywood) in the 1400m Benchmark 58 Handicap.
Words: Jeff Hanson
Image: Bradley Photoso