Well that's what I was told anyway. I don't listen to hearsay, I prefer to measure performance objectively myself.
Funnily enough, the horse has only ever raced once without blinkers. Ran 2nd over 1000m at Warwick Farm on a Good3. Next start with blinkers on, ran 2nd over 1100m.
But the run at Warwick Farm is the 27th fastest over 1000m on a G3 or better in the last 15 years - out of over 1000 horses at that track/distance/track condition. A real slug without blinkers for sure.
Only half a second off the best - done by Snitzerland no less in a G2 race. Clearly when Thomass states the trainer says the horse is next to useless without them, Snowden must think that performance was next to useless. Tough marker. All the other horses he races there without blinkers on must be next to useless as well. Since they don't run as fast as Redzel did - without blinkers!