Trainer Peter Snowden was happy with the barrier trial performance of Guelph yesterday and is confident that she can pick up where she left off last preparation when she returns for the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival.
Guelph has been set an ambitious spring campaign by trainer Peter Snowden with a crack at the Flight Stakes/ Thousand Guineas double on the agenda. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Guelph showed great maturity to finish her juvenile campaign with victories in the Group 1 Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) and the Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) and Snowden told Radio Sports National this morning that he was worried the daughter of Exceed And Excel may have peaked as a two-year-old.
The Darley trainer said that those fears were quickly put to rest and he is delighted with the condition of the duel Group 1 winner ahead of her three-year-old campaign.
“When she went out it was in the back of my mind ‘will I have anything to come back with’ (this preparation) but the brilliant part for me is that she was there for us the very first piece of work, which indicated to me that she was going to come back well,” Snowden said on RSN.
“She has come back in great order and hopefully she is going to pick up where she left off last season.
“She had a pretty soft trial for her and she looks as bright as a button this morning.”
Snowden confirmed that Guelph would return to the races in the Group 2 Furious Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday and will remain in Sydney for both the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) and Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) before heading to Melbourne for a tilt at the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield.
“We have a good program for her this time through and hopefully things go to plan and we get to hit all those targets,” Snowden said.
“The main aim is the Flight Stakes here in Sydney and hopefully, if all goes well, we will get to Melbourne and run in the Thousand Guineas after that.”
The Flight Stakes/ Thousand Guineas double has rarely between attempted in recent years with Dashing Eagle in 1996 the last filly to achieve the impressive feat.
