Spring Champion Stakes winner Complacent won’t run in the Group 1 $500,000 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 1 during the Melbourne Festival of Racing.
Complacent will miss the Australian Guineas. Photo by Steve Hart.
Trainer Peter Snowden has instead decided to concentrate on a Sydney Autumn Carnival campaign for the three year old.
“All his runs will be in Sydney and at this stage his first run will be in the Hobartville Stakes,” Snowden said.
Complacent had been marked a $12 chance in the Australian Guineas following a successful Spring which saw the Authorized colt win the Group 1 $400,000 Moet & Chandon Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on October 12.
Snowden then took the Group 1 winner to Melbourne where he was runner up to Polanski in the Group 1 $1.5m AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington in November.
Complacent will have his first Autumn Carnival run in the Group 2 $200,000 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on March 1 as he heads toward the Group 1 $2m BMW Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick on April 12.
The decision to leave Complacent in Sydney has left Snowden with three remaining three year olds in the Australian Guineas entries, Exceed And Excel colt San Diego, the lightly raced Tupac Amaru and restricted class galloper Agadir.
Snowden is expecting more improvement from San Diego who showed good signs in the Spring that he could mix it with the top class of three year olds.
San Diego showed that much improvement in the Spring that he was sent out the favourite for the in the Group 3 $150,000 Jacob Park Thoroughbreds Norman Robinson Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield on October 19 and after being forced into the role of pacemaker, held on to run second to Polanski.
Snowden then sent San Diego around in the Victoria Derby but after racing in a prominent position, the three year old faded in the straight to finish a well beaten twelfth to Polanski.
“San Diego has stayed down here (Victoria) since the Spring and he’ll have his first start in the (Group 3) C.S. Hayes Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on February 15 and then the Australian Guineas,” Snowden said.
“He’s probably about another week off a trial. Though he’s not huge, he looks well and I’m happy with him.
“I won’t take him beyond 2000 metres this time around. I think he really struggled at a mile-and-a-half (2400m) so I’ll keep him at a mile (1600m) to 2000m.”
Complacent is currently the equal $4 favourite with Polanski for the Australian Derby while San Diego is marked as a $31 chance in the Australian Guineas.
