Co-trainer Paul Snowden has been impressed with the trackwork of Disclaimer heading into the Listed Winter Challenge at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday, but admits that the 1500 metres will be too short for the imported stayer.
Kerrin McEvoy has been booked to ride Disclaimer in the Winter Challenge at Rosehill Gardens tomorrow. Photo by: Daniel Costello
Disclaimer made his Australian racing debut, after previously being trained by Sir Henry Cecil, with a fourth place finish behind Leebaz in the Pro-Ride Handicap (1600m) at Warwick Farm on March 20 before finishing ninth behind Junoob in the Group 3 Neville Sellwood Stakes (2000m).
The Dansili gelding was given a healthy stint in the spelling paddock before starting preparations for the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival and Snowden told Racing Ahead that he is happy with the condition of the four-year-old and is hoping that he can put the writing on the wall for a strong spring campaign with a tough effort in the Winter Challenge.
“He is an on-speed horse that keeps quickening and that was how he was running his races over in England,” Snowden said.
“That was pretty much how we found him over here since we have had him.
“He has had a good break and we brought him up nicely and slowly.
“He is very relaxed his work, James McDonald rode him a little bit last preparation for John O’Shea and he has rode him here for us and he can’t believe how well the horse is in himself and the change in him.
“We are not expecting it over 1500 metres tomorrow, but we would love to see him run some kind of race and give an indication that he is heading into the right direction.
“We look forward to the races when he gets a bit longer.”
Disclaimer made his racing debut at Newmarket in 2012 and made a slow start to his career before taking out a maiden at Redcar at the end of the season.
He worked through the grades during his three-year-old season and made his black type racing debut with a win in the Listed Cocked Hat Stakes (2212m) at Goodwood in May last year before finishing behind Leading Light in the Group 3 Queen’s Vase during the 2013 Royal Ascot Meeting.
Disclaimer is currently available at 2014 Winter Challenge odds of $26, with Queenstown ($4) and Scream Machine ($4) battling for favouritism from Romantic Moon ($4.60) and He’s Your Man ($5.50).
