Trainer Peter Snowden has revealed that talented sprinter Sessions will be set for the Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) and Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes (1200m) during his 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival campaign.
Sessions begin his 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival campaign in the Challenge Stakes at Royal Randwick on March 15. Photo by: Steve Hart
Sessions took part in an open trial over 900 metres at Rosehill Gardens this morning and showed good speed in the final stages of the race to record a comfortable two lengths victory from Chatham House and Party Dress.
Snowden elected not to send Sessions to Melbourne for either the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (1000m) or the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) because she failed to fire down the famous Flemington straight in the VRC Sprint Classic (1200m) on Emirates Stakes Day last year and has opted to save the Lonhro entire for an Sydney autumn campaign that will begin in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes (1000m) at Royal Randwick on March 15.
“I think he is a much better horse around a bend, he just doesn’t seem to settle up the straight,” Snowden told TVN.
“Coming back to Sydney and having races where he is comfortable right-handed should hopefully bring out the best in him.”
Sessions did plenty wrong at the start of his racing career, pulling badly during a number of racing during his maiden campaign, but stamped himself as a sprinter to watch with a strong 2013 Spring Racing Carnival campaign.
The four-year-old resumed with a narrow second in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m) at Royal Randwick on September 7 and stormed home late to record a narrow win over Aeronautical in the Group 2 The Shorts (1100m) at the same venue on September 21.
Sessions made her Melbourne racing debut with a fourth place finish in the Group 2 Gilgai Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on October 5 and produced arguably the best performance of his career when he finished a narrow third behind Buffering and Lucky Nine in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on October 25.
The talented sprinter was ridden close to the pace in the VRC Sprint Classic at Flemington on November 9, but faded badly in the final stages of the race to finish a distant eighth behind Buffering.
Snowden will be having just his first runner in the Challenge Stakes since Disciplined finished a disappointing ninth behind Olonana in the 2009 edition of the race.
