Trainer Peter Snowden has found the secret to training English import Disclaimer who took out the Group 3 $175,000 XXXX Gold Newcastle Cup (2300m) at Newcastle today.
Peter Snowden has found the secret to Disclaimer, the Newcastle Cup winner. Photo by Steve Hart.
Snowden, who trains in partnership with his son Paul, only took over the training of Disclaimer this preparation when previous trainer John O’Shea took up his new position as head trainer for Darley and then Godolphin.
Disclaimer was having his fourth run for the Snowdens and showed vast improvement on his last start fifth to Multilateral in the Listed $150,000 Carlton Mid Wyong Cup (2100m) at Wyong on September 5.
“It took me a while to work him out. I was a little kind to him early, I thought he wasn’t a horse that you could work hard, I didn’t want to overcook him early in the preparation,” Snowden said.
“After Wyong we stepped the work up and like I said this morning he was eating twice as much as he did before and he was just a different horse. He just feels like a rock now and it has really brought him right on.”
“Once you find the secret to them and things start to click normally they do good things while there are here.”
Winning rider Jason Collett had to change his pre-race plan after Disclaimer was slow to begin and instead of being on the pace he had to settle back in the field.
“Was slow to jump. That wasn’t in the plan, we wanted to be in the box seat, but Jason was able to get him in a good spot, a good trailing position, he was following the right horses throughout the race and gee he was good late,” Snowden said.
Collett was able to get a clear run in the straight and brought Disclaimer ($11) with a well-timed run to score a one and three quarter lengths win over the Chris Waller trained Brigantin ($15) with Wish Come True ($6) running a good race from a wide barrier to finish up in third spot.
The Waller trained Multilateral was sent out the $3.80 favourite but after being given a good run by Jim Cassidy in a forward position, failed to run on in the straight and faded to finish seventh.
The winner of the Newcastle Cup is exempt from the ballot for the Group 1 $400,000 The Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick on October 4 and Snowden will make a decision in the next week if he will step Disclaimer up to Group 1 company.
