Memorial is rated the clear outsider of Peter Snowden’s three runners in the 2014 Golden Slipper, but the veteran trainer is hopeful that the talented filly can figure in the finish, if she gets a bit of luck in running.
Memorial is chasing her maiden win at Group 1 level in the 2014 Golden Slipper at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. Photo by: Steve Hart
Memorial made her racing debut with two straight wins in Sydney and the end of last year and started her 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival campaign in the Listed Lonhro Plate (1100m) at Warwick Farm on March 8; finishing second after being blocked for a run in the early stages of the race.
The Street Cry filly failed to fire in the Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 22, finishing at the tail of the field, but Snowden blamed himself for the poor performance and told Racing Ahead that he is expecting an improved effort from the two-year-old in the 2014 Golden Slipper tomorrow.
“It was a flat run,” Snowden said.
“I made a blue; I put the blinkers on her after her Warwick Farm and I was thinking that I had one run up my sleeve to try gear on her to see how she will react.
“I had the blinkers on her every day during the week and she didn’t react to them at all and come race day she almost bolted going to the barriers and in the race she jumped and got going really keenly.
“They clearly didn’t suit her and they are off her.”
Memorial will jump from the outside of the 2014 Golden Slipper field at Rosehill Gardens tomorrow and Snowden admits that the filly will need plenty of luck during the race.
Snowden said that he will be instructing jockey Christian Reith to settle Memorial in the middle of the field and believes that the juvenile will need to settle in the early stages of the race to have any chance of featuring in the finish.
“From that wide gate she needs to come back, relax and be ridden for luck because she won’t win if she charges forward,” Snowden said.
“If she charges forward early she will be six or seven wide and will have no hope.
“She should be good enough to run and figure in the finish and her work has been great.
“On Tuesday morning her work was the best of the morning and she will just need a bit of luck from where she is drawn.”
Memorial is currently available at 2014 Golden Slipper odds of $61 and has been backed in from his quote of $101 earlier in the week.
