Peter Snowden is lamenting his string of poor barrier draws and is anxiously awaiting scratchings before finalising his contingent for Rosehill.
Mares Sunrays (barrier 10), Tuileries (12), and Miss Freelove (17) have all been allocated double-figure gates for Saturday’s The Nivison (1200m). His other black-type contender, the three-year-old colt The Machine Gun, drew the extreme outside in the 14-horse Roman Consul Stakes (1200m) field.
While Tuileries and Sunrays are confirmed starters, Snowden will defer his decision on Miss Freelove until race morning.
“Sometimes you get a massive amount of scratchings, and seventeen becomes ten or eleven,” Snowden remarked. “I’ll see what happens Saturday morning. I would like to run her because timing-wise, it’s ideal.”
Sunrays, previously trained by Kelly Schweida in Brisbane, is making her debut for the Snowden stable. Although she hasn’t competed since finishing unplaced in the Gold Coast Guineas (1200m) back in May, she typically performs well when resuming.
Tuileries also boasts a strong record when returning from a spell, having previously won the Dark Jewel Classic (1400m) at Scone first-up while carrying a significant weight from a wide draw.
Snowden confirmed that Tuileries is in good condition for Saturday’s engagement, and he is hopeful she can secure an invitation to The Invitation (1400m) at Randwick on October 24.
“She’s had two trials and she’s ready to go,” Snowden stated. “She’s a top-class filly. She’s rated 107 now for a reason. Her form is very good. She’s had a freshen up in Brisbane and come back with these races in mind. We’d love to get an invitation to that fillies race after Saturday.”
Similar to Miss Freelove, Snowden is adopting a patient approach with The Machine Gun. With three early scratchings already from the Roman Consul Stakes, his fortunes might change.
The Machine Gun, who remains undefeated after two starts, is being considered for a tilt at the Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington later this month. Snowden is eager to assess his performance against Saturday’s competitors.
“We wanted to go around on Saturday to see if he was good enough to run in the Coolmore,” he explained. “It’s a really good, testing race to see where you are in the pecking order. There could be some scratchings. The favourites might wipe a few out. If he came into eight or nine we might run.”
A benchmark race at Rosehill on Wednesday serves as the backup plan, and Snowden is eager to return the Listed winner to the track.
“We’ve just got to get him running for the races we’ve got in mind,” he said. “He doesn’t excite you of a morning at trackwork, but his race performances have been very good.”
The next race to watch is the Roman Consul Stakes, and keen punters might find value on Australian betting sites.