Having made an exceptional start to the juvenile season, Peter and Paul Snowden are looking to consolidate their Magic Millions Classic team with two of their leading hopes stepping out at Randwick.
Recent debut winner Sancy was expected to head the stable’s Gold Coast arsenal but Peter Snowden confirmed the filly was out of the Magic Millions Classic hunt.
“She’s not going,” Snowden said.
“She will be aimed at the Golden Slipper and will head to the fillies’ lead-up races.”
Such is the depth in the Snowdens’ two-year-old team, they are still likely to have a strong hand at the Gold Coast.
They saddle up debut winner Aim and Gimcrack Stakes runner-up Stellar Pauline in the TAB Venue Mode Handicap (1200m) on Saturday, with both Magic Millions eligible.
The filly is pre-post favourite for the Randwick assignment and sits on the third line of betting for next month’s Gold Coast feature.
Peter Snowden agrees she has a slight advantage over her stablemate on Saturday given she has had a racing campaign.
“She raced in the very first two-year-old race and when you get them up that far, that early, it’s always a plus,” Snowden said.
“Experience means a lot and she’s very tractable.
“She’s drawn a nice gate (seven) to get a nice run from midfield, she’s always doing her best work late so the 1200 metres should be ideal.”
Stellar Pauline made ground from worse than midfield to finish second to Every Rose in the Gimcrack and that filly has subsequently returned with a placing in the Magic Millions Wyong 2YO Classic.
Kerrin McEvoy sticks with her, while Tommy Berry takes over on Aim with Brenton Avdulla not riding at Randwick.
Aim showed natural race sense to weave through the field and power home for an impressive midweek win on debut and while he started at double-figure odds, Snowden said the performance was no surprise.
“He’s always been a nice horse and worked well but he’s had trouble keeping up in the shorter, on-pace trials,” Snowden said.
“But the 1200 metres, he really appreciated it.
“He is a beautiful type and a strong horse. He’s a great eater and he hasn’t missed a beat since that run.
“Both him and Stellar Pauline are Magic Millions horses and if he happened to win on Saturday, that would nearly guarantee him a start in the race.”
Bartley, an impressive debut winner at Kembla Grange last Saturday, and King’s Legacy, placed behind Aim at his first start, also remain in the Magic Millions mix for the Snowdens.
King’s Legacy has been scratched from Randwick on Saturday in preference for a race in Brisbane on December 28, while Bartley gets his chance to secure a spot when he runs in Sydney on the same day.
Article from JustHorseRacing.com.au