Peter & Paul Snowden have opted to send the undefeated Russian Revolution to Melbourne for Saturday’s Vain Stakes at Caulfield Racecourse to avoid a clash with stablemate Capitalist in Sydney.
Peter & Paul Snowden’s undefeated colt Russian Revolution runs in Melbourne for the first time heading Saturday’s 2016 Vain Stakes field at Caulfield. Photo: Steve Hart.
Champion colt Capitalist, last seen winning the $3.5 million Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m), kicks off his three-year-old campaign at Rosehill Gardens in the Group 3 San Domenico Stakes (1100m) on Saturday.
The San Domenico Stakes wasn’t originally on the agenda for the son of Written Tycoon, but he was scratched out of last Saturday’s Group 2 Missile Stakes (1200m) due to the Heavy (10) Randwick track rating.
The change for resuming runs for the stable’s star youngster also forced an alteration to Russian Revolution’s early carnival campaign, the progressive Snitzel colt bypassing the San Domenico and heading south.
He runs at Caulfield on P.B. Lawrence Stakes Day taking on a field of nine other three-year-old colts and geldings in the $150,000 Group 3 KS Environmental Vain Stakes (1100m) at set weights plus penalties.
The Vain Stakes is the first run for Russian Revolution the Victorian way of racing and also has him stepping up to Black-Type company for the first time.
He is due to jump from barrier four shooting for his third win from as many starts.
His latest win was over 1200m by a tidy two lengths at Randwick on June 25, where he also won a late July hit-out over 1050m ahead of his first-up run on the weekend.
All going to plan and Russian Revolution is likely to face off against Capitalist for Team Snowden in next month’s $1 million Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes (1400m).
The galloper is also well-fancied in all-in markets for the $1 million Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) over the mile back at Caulfield on October 8.
Artie Dee Two from the record-breaking stables of Darren Weir is also a winner of his two career opening runs heading into the Vain Stakes field on the weekend.
Drawn the rails in barrier one, the son of Artie Schiller’s latest run on June 18 saw him post a three-quarter length victory at the tight Moonee Valley circuit.
He steps out at Caulfield for the first time in the Vain Stakes, his maiden win being at Geelong on the Synthetic surface.
David & Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig have accepted for two of the three Lindsay Park-trained Vain Stakes nominees with stablemates Valliano and Highland Beat representing the team.
Valliano is the official highest-rated horse in the line-up with handicap rating of 76 achieved over his seven career runs to date.
The gelding is a son of French-bred stallion Equiano and has won two of his four Caulfield runs to date including carrying 60kg to victory in the $150,000 VOBIS Gold Ingot (1200m) in mid-April.
Jockey Damien Lane was aboard that day, as well as for his earlier Caulfield win in early February and his unplaced Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) run, and continues his association in the Vain Stakes first-up.
Highland Beat is drawn a treat in barrier three and will be advantaged by the services of internationally-performed hoop Craig Williams.
The Exceed And Excel colt boasts a super-consistent record of two wins and four seconds over his nine earlier career runs, the last a narrow effort behind Oregon’s Day at the Caulfield track in April’s Listed Redoute’s Choice Stakes (1200m).
Blue Diamond Stakes fourth-placed Hard Spun gelding Power Trip runs in the Vain Stakes second-up off a fourth in Adelaide’s Listed Lightning Stakes (1050m) from late last month, while local horseman Clinton McDonald runs his Sebring colt Revolving Door for the first time since a third in the Group 2 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Flemington in mid-March.
