By Racing.com
KAROONDA, South Australia (May 2, 2025) — With a population of about 300, the tiny South Australian town of Karoonda isn’t much more than a dot on the map.
There’s a small pub, some popular silo art and a struggling footy club.
But after Saturday, it might also be home to Australia’s newest Group 1 winner.
Local Darryl Hewitt will carry the hopes of the proud community, and indeed those of the broader South Australian racing industry, when he saddles up emerging three-year-old Snoopy Now in the $1 million SA Derby at Morphettville.
The gelding — an Australian-bred son of California stallion Sir Prancealot — has already done his trainer proud with a win in the Listed Port Adelaide Guineas (1800m) last month, before hitting the line off a sedate tempo in last week’s G3 Chairman’s Stakes (2000m).
The Hewitt name is synonymous with sporting success in South Australia but a G1 win would set a new benchmark.
Hewitt, his brother Glynn and his father Max were all gun footballers and boast a proud history in the SANFL and VFL. The trainer’s nephew is Grand Slam-winning tennis star Lleyton Hewitt.
“The old man used to train a few, so we grew up in horses with the old man,” Hewitt said.
“He always had a couple he was working at Morphettville.
“I played footy up until 34 and I think in the last year of footy, I was training horses as well.
“That was in 1993.
“We have the place up here at Karoonda where we’re set up with our own track, so I was able to train a few from up here.
“I started breeding a few with a mare I bought for $700 called Babelle – she was a Francis Bacon mare and I think she threw 14 or 15 foals, for 11 individual winners.
“She kept the ball rolling for me and I think we had close to 100 wins out of the one mare.”
Like Babelle’s offspring, which include Stakes winner Merlot Now and 17-time winner Moet Now, Snoopy Now comes from pretty humble beginnings.
Hewitt bought the son of Sir Prancealot for less than $5000 as a yearling via a Bloodstock Auction online sale. It was a similar story with his other stable pin-up Sir Now.
A one-time shuttler to Cornerstone Stud in the Barossa, Sir Prancealot has produced Australian Stakes winner Caste and Sir Sway, although he has enjoyed more success in the Northern Hemisphere.
Both Snoopy Now and Sir Now showed ability from the first time a saddle was placed on their backs, first at Hewitt’s property and then once they moved to be stabled at Murray Bridge.
Hewitt said he always suspected Snoopy Now, who is out of a New Approach mare, would stay as an autumn three-year-old.
“I just like the Sir Prancealots,” he said.
“They say they’re all a bit silly but having horses by Francis Bacon and Keltrice gives you some perspective on silly, so that didn’t worry me too much.
“You do have to be careful with them because you can’t do too much too quickly.
“If you work with them, their ability comes through, as he’s shown in America.
“This horse was online on Bloodstock Auction.
“I’ve been saying for 12 or 18 months that I thought he was a Derby horse.
“He’s always done a lot of his work with Sir Now, who has a lot of natural speed and he’d sit four or five lengths off him in his work.
“On the line he’d almost pick up the other horse, even though he had Jarryd (Lynch) riding him, who was probably 20kg heavier than the other rider.”
Like Hewitt, it’ll be a maiden G1 tilt for expat jockey Connor Murtagh, who has a short but successful association with Snoopy Now.
Hewitt said the pair combined for a nice piece of work at Murray Bridge on Tuesday morning, with the gelding showing no signs of fatigue after four autumn runs.
Snoopy Now is rated $15 in Sportsbet’s SA Derby market, which is headed by last-start Galilee Series Final winner Statuario ($4.20).
“He bounced poor old Connor around the track on Monday and he wasn’t too bad on Tuesday, he did a couple of easy laps on the fibre (all weather track) on Tuesday,” he said.
“We’re just happy to have a nice horse again.
“You’re in a Group 1 and that’s terrific but it’s just nice to have a couple of handy young horses around the stable.
“Instead of going to the races hoping, you go there with some sort of expectation.”