Peter Snowden finds himself in a fortunate spot with numerous stakes-level sprinters in his barn, allowing him to select from multiple high-profile events for his charges.
Two weeks back, Zealously secured the Hawkesbury Gold Rush (1100m) for him, and just last weekend, King Of Roseau and Beadman notched an out-of-state stakes double by winning the Takeover Target Stakes (1100m) at Gosford and the Gold Coast Guineas (1200m) respectively.
“We’re lucky we’ve got some troops back and they’ve all been firing,” Snowden said.
“It’s a bit of a juggling act, but it’s a good problem to have.”
Beadman looks to build on those successes by running again in Saturday’s Group 1 Doomben 10,000 (1200m) after starting as a reserve but gaining entry due to a couple of early scratchings.
Snowden’s speedy contingent at Scone features the solid duo of King Of Sparta and Fire Star in the Listed Ortensia Stakes (1100m), Tuileries in the Dark Jewel Classic (1400m), plus fillies Akaysha and Miss Freelove in the Denise’s Joy Stakes (1100m).
Miss Freelove got scratched from her Brisbane engagement to instead compete at Scone, drawing a more favorable gate four.
Having run a placing in Group 3 at Flemington last spring, she kicked off her new prep with a respectable midfield finish behind emerging Golden Straand at Warwick Farm last month, in a contest that didn’t favor her patient running style.
Snowden is fitting winkers for her Saturday task and notes the three-year-old has impressed him consistently since that return outing.
“She went back and they weren’t making ground. She did run on, but she was a bit too far back,” Snowden said of the performance.
“I have added some headgear, and hopefully that just gets her a bit more involved.
“She is going well, and she trialled really well the other week when she flew home, so she will be heading there will her tail up and she’ll be a chance of winning.”
Akaysha faces a tough ask from gate 16 in that same event, though she enters off a recent Listed triumph in Brisbane and a placing in last year’s Woodlands Stakes (1100m) on the same card.
King Of Sparta returns after 18 months off since the 2024 Russell Balding Stakes (1200m), while Fire Star comes back fresh from a strong summer series with a proven first-up record.
Explore the Australian betting sites for top racing odds on the Doomben 10,000.