That’s A Good Idea To Improve In Takeover Target Stakes

Co-trainer Peter Snowden is confident that promising sprinter That’s A Good Idea can produce an improved performance in the 2015 Takeover Target Stakes at Gosford tomorrow.

That's A Good Idea has the chance to record a maiden win at Listed level in the 2015 Takeover Target Stakes. Photo by: Steve Hart

That’s A Good Idea has the chance to record a maiden win at Listed level in the 2015 Takeover Target Stakes. Photo by: Steve Hart

That’s A Good Idea returned to the races with a win in the Supporting Tracks4Kids Handicap (1000m) at Randwick on October 6 and he finished a credible second behind Deep Field in the Listed City Tatts Club Lightning (1100m) on October 18, but failed to fire when seventh in the Group 2 Salinger Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on Victoria Derby Day.

The Flying Spur gelding was given a break ahead of the Listed Canterbury Classic (1200m) on December 27 and could finish no better than eighth, but Snowden believes that the five-year-old has taken plenty of benefit out of the run and can return to a semblance of his best form in the Takeover Target Stakes.

“He took good benefit from his run at Canterbury,” Snowden told Sky Racing HQ.

“I’m starting to learn a bit more about him; he is a very gross colt who needs a lot of work and racing to keep him up to the mark.

“He had a bit of a break after his last run in Melbourne and he had one small trial before his first start, but we couldn’t run him because of a wet track and I wasn’t able to run him again, so he was probably a little bit underdone.

“With the benefit of that work the other day and a bit more work under his belt I think that he strips a lot fitter for Friday.

“I would expect him to run a lot better race.”

The 2015 Takeover Target Stakes field is very similar to the one that That’s A Good Idea faced in the Canterbury Classic and he will meet the likes of Barbed, Ball Of Muscle, Miniature and Cradle Me once again.

Snowden admits that Barbed and Ball Of Muscle are both talented horses on the improve, but rates the Takeover Target Stakes an even field.

“It is a good field and it is a good sort of race for this time of year,” Snowden said.

“There are some handy horses there that are going forward and it is an even field.”

Snowden is chasing his second straight win in the Takeover Target Stakes after he won the 2014 edition of the Listed race with Emblems while still the head trainer for Darley.

About The Author

Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.