First starter Defcon can jump to the top of the Blue Diamond Stakes betting if he can live up to his pre-race hype and win the Group 3 $150,000 Canonbury Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Jockey Brenton Avdulla will ride the short priced favourite Defcon in the Canonbury Stakes at Rosehill. Photo by Daniel Costello.
The Peter and Paul Snowden trained Defcon is currently the $2 favourite for the Canonbury Stakes and an impressive winning debut would see him challenge Victorian colt Extreme Choice for the top spot in the market order for the Group 1 $1.5m Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 27.
Current Blue Diamond Stakes markets at Ladbrokes.com.au have Extreme Choice the top pick at $6 just ahead of Defcon at $7 but that could chance if Defcon is successful on the weekend.
While Defcon has won two of his three barrier trials, including a length win over 900m at Rosehill on January 19, co-trainer Peter Snowden said that the Choisir colt still has to prove his ability on race day.
“His trialled have been nice, without being over the top, his work has been good, he looks in great order and he will take good improvement from Saturday no doubt and hopefully heading towards the Blue Diamond,” Peter Snowden told Racing And Sports.
The prospect of a rain affected track hasn’t dampened the confident of Peter Snowden who anticipates that Defcon will have little trouble handling a wet surface after winning his Rosehill barrier trial on a soft 6 track.
“Not ideal but we have had soft tracks for the last couple of weeks so he has worked in them and he seems to have worked okay in them,” Peter Snowden said.
“He trialled on a soft track at Rosehill and he was fine there so I think he will get through the soft track okay.”
Peter Snowden confirmed that a strong first up appearance will see Defcon head to Melbourne and possibly run in the Group 3 $200,000 Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) (1100m) at Caulfield on February 13 as a final lead up to the Blue Diamond Stakes two weeks later.
“There is time there to screw him right down,” Snowden said.
“He is definitely forward enough to run well on Saturday and hopefully he does.”
Brenton Avdulla has gained the ride on the hot pot who will jump from barrier seven in the in the eight horse field.
Defcon showed plenty of ability when he won a Randwick barrier trial back in September last year but Snowden said the colt went shin sore and had to be put away before being prepared for the Autumn Carnival.
“He went shin sore after he trialled. He did trial really well that day,” Snowden said.
The Snowdens have already had plenty of two year old success this year with their other smart colt Capitalist scoring a dominant win in the $2m Magic Millions 2yo Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast on January 9.
“One horse has the runs on the board and the other horse has yet to do it,” Snowden said.
Capitalist’s win in the Magic Millions 2yo Classic saw him installed as the $3.60 clear favourite at Ladbrokes.com.au for the Group 1 $3.5m Longines Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on March 19.
Canonbury Stakes market order at Ladbrokes.com.au: $2 Defcon, $4.40 Star Of Monsoon, $5 Tessera, $8 Mount Panorama, $9 Guard Of Honour, $16 Pewter, $51 Kings Of Leon, $81 Jexerlent.
