Darley Australia trainer Peter Snowden will head straight to the Group 1 $500,000 Sky Racing Tattersall’s Tiara (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 23 with Beaded after the mare returned to form at Doomben on Saturday.
The Group 1 winning mare was struggling to produce her best of late but Snowden was able to lift the six year old back to her old self with a handy third to Sea Siren in the Group 1 $400,000 Bundaberg Distilling Co. BTC Cup (1200m).
Beaded had been freshened up after finishing a six length fifth to Foxwedge in the Group 1 $400,000 Power Tracker William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on March 23 and had to please Snowden in a special track gallop before securing a trip to Queensland.
Snowden has happy with her effort on Saturday and even though she won the Doomben 10,000 last year, he will bypass the this year’s 1350m Group 1 WFA as well as the Group 1 $1m AAMI Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 9 and concentrate on the fillies and mares weight for age race at the end of the carnival.
“At this stage her only remaining run at the carnival is the Tattersall’s Tiara,” Snowden said.
“I won’t put any strain on her. I’d never forgive myself if I went too hard on her.”
Snowden has a strong team in Brisbane for the carnival and will find out this Saturday if his promising three year old Mental is up to running in the Stradbroke.
The Lonhro gelding is nominated for the Group 3 $125,000 Fred Best Classic (1350m) for three year olds at Doomben and if he performs up to expectations will go onto the Stradbroke.
But if Mental doesn’t warrant a start against the top class sprinters at Eagle Farm, Snowden will save him for the easier option of the Group 2 $350,000 Queensland Guineas (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 2 against his own age.
“Racing against his own age in the Guineas would be much easier. He has to really impress us in the Fred Best to earn a Stradbroke run,” Snowden said.
Mental has already impressed market framers who have the three year old on the third line of Stradbroke betting at $10 behind BTC Cup winner Sea Siren who has skipped to the top of the list at $8.
Snowden is well aware that Mental still has to prove himself in top company after resuming from a spell in restricted grade when an easy winner over See The World in Benchmark 85 Handicap (1200m) at the Hawkesbury Guineas meeting on May 5.
Stable mate Free Wheeling, who took out the Listed $150,000 Hawkesbury Guineas (1400m) is also nominated for the Fred best Classic on his way to the Queensland Guineas.
