Last start Rosehill winner Gold Symphony heads up Team Snowden’s three runners in the Listed $150,000 ATC Winter Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

Gold Symphony, above, is one of the main chances in the Winter Stakes at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.

Gold Symphony, above, is one of the main chances in the Winter Stakes at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.

Gold Symphony is up 2.5kg on his last start win in the Listed $150,000 Civic Stakes (1350m) at Rosehill a fortnight ago and will have to overcome an awkward barrier draw at twelve in the original draw but co-trainer Paul Snowden can still see the four year old figuring in the finish.

“I know he has drawn a bit sticky but there doesn’t look to be a lot of speed in the race so we will have to try to slot in,” Snowden told The Daily Telegraph.

“He is going extremely well and his work Tuesday morning was great and he looks fantastic.”

“If he keeps chipping away at the record he has of late he is certainly going to be in the mix again.”

Australia’s leading Group 1 winning jockey Hugh Bowman was aboard Gold Symphony for his Civic Stakes win and will take the mount again in the Winter Stakes.

“He has a good understanding of the horse as well because he hits a ­little flat spot,” Snowden said.

“He did it at Scone and he did it in the Stradbroke and because he (Bowman) helped him through that mid-race period (last start) he was able to gather momentum and hit the line good. It was a good ride,” Snowden said.

Gold Symphony is well in contention in the betting for the Winter Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au at $5 and Paul Snowden, who trains in partnership with his father Peter, isn’t ruling out the stablemate Extensible also figuring amongst the prizemoney.

Extensible has drawn nicely at barrier two with Kerrin McEvoy to ride and even though she has been unplaced at her last three runs, is marked at $7 on the third line of betting.

Two starts back Extensible was beaten two lengths when fifth to Prompt Response in the Group 2 $200,000 Bundaberg Rum Dane Ripper Stakes (1350m) at Doomben on June 10 followed by an eighth to Gold Symphony in the Civic Stakes.

“Her Brisbane run was very good in the Dane Ripper,” Snowden said.

“The other day she was three-deep no cover (in the Civic Stakes) and she is a horse that needs to get cover and switch off. When she doesn’t do that she just seems to race through the bridle a touch.

“She has a lovely soft draw and she will lob in the first four or five quite easily and she can bounce back and figure.”

The Snowdens will also saddle $16 chance Snippets Land who is coming off a last start second to Monsieur Gustave in the Listed $175,000 HMR Projects Glasshouse Handicap (1400m) at the Sunshine Coast on July 1.

“It wasn’t surprising as he had been flying under the radar in those races at Doomben,” Snowden said.

“It was a good, solid performance and if he drew a barrier he might have won.”

Tye Angland takes over from Damian Browne on Snippets Land who has drawn barrier ten.

The Mark Newnham trained Burning Passion has been installed the $4.40 favourite for the Winter Stakes and is coming off a winning double during the Brisbane Winter Carnival in a 1200m BenchMark 95 Handicap at Eagle Farm on May 27 and in the Group 3 $175,000 W.J. Healy Stakes (1200m) at Doomben on June 24.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.