Co-trainer Paul Snowden believes that talented colt Paceman is a much more relaxed horse ahead of his return to racing in the 2015 Silver Slipper Stakes at Rosehill Gardens this weekend.
Paceman will face the toughest test of his racing career to date in the 2015 Silver Slipper Stakes. Photo by: Steve Hart
Paceman stamped himself as a horse to follow when he recorded a dominant seven lengths victory in a barrier trial over 740 metres at Royal Randwick on October 31 and he backed up that performance with a comfortable win on debut in the Cellarbrations Appin Plate (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on November 15.
Jockey Josh Parr was forced to restrain Paceman in his racing debut, but Snowden told Racing Ahead that the Duporth colt appears to have learnt how to settle in the early stages of his races and expects him to show an impressive turn-of-foot in the Silver Slipper Stakes.
“We have been very happy with him,” Snowden said.
“He was probably a headstrong colt last time that he was in and he raced quiet fierce in himself.
“We tried to get him in behind other horses, but the tempo just wasn’t there for him to do so and he still won easily.
“The biggest turnaround with him is just his attitude.
“All he wants to do is relax for you and he definitely has a better turn-of-foot for it.
“We will know where we sit with him after tomorrow that is for sure.
A number of talented two-year-olds have been included in the 2015 Silver Slipper Stakes field and there is set to be plenty of early speed in the race with the likes of Headwater and Ottoman both showing pace in their racing debuts.
Despite the prospect of a quick tempo, Snowden still expects that Paceman will settle close to the speed in the Silver Slipper Stakes and he is confident that jockey Hugh Bowman will give the two-year-old a lovely run in transit.
“I think that he will be in the first three or four,” Snowden said.
“He is a quick horse, he has a big lovely stride on him and if you try to harness him to much you can take that away from him.
“Hughie knows him quite well, he has ridden him in a lot of his work and in the trials, so we have a pretty good feeling of where he needs to be.”
Paceman is currently available at 2015 Silver Slipper Stakes odds of $3.80 with Ladbrokes and is on the third line of betting behind Ottoman ($2.50) and Headwater ($3.60).
