Peter Snowden, a longtime supporter of the Scone racing carnival and a local of the town, is preparing a strong contingent for this year’s edition, with six horses nominated across the two-day meeting.
Among them, juvenile fillies Akaysha and Miss Freelove will represent Snowden in the Listed Woodlands Stakes (1100m), where both sit prominently in the market behind the well-fancied Stardom.
Akaysha impressed on debut by defeating Beadman, who franked the form in spectacular fashion with a dominant victory in the Group 3 Ken Russell Memorial (1200m) at the Gold Coast last weekend.
She then produced another strong effort when narrowly beaten by Grand Eagle over 1100m at Randwick.
“Talk about good form,” Snowden said.
“She beat Beadman and only got beaten narrowly last start right on the line so it’s great form going into this race.”
Despite drawing gate 13, Snowden believes Akaysha can still be effective, noting the forgiving layout of the Scone track.
“One thing about the 1100 metre start there is it’s a really long run to the first corner so barriers aren’t quite so important as against a track that is really tight and turning,” Snowden said.
“I’m not too worried about where she is drawn.”
Miss Freelove brings good recent form as well, having run second on debut before claiming a front-running win at Canterbury. She too has continued to please Snowden in her work since.
Snowden said the fillies are evenly matched and both capable of continuing the race’s strong legacy, which includes names like Libertini (2019), In Secret (2022), and Lazzura (2024).
“She ran a good race first-up at Warwick Farm and won easily at Canterbury her next start so she is going up there in good form as well,” he said.
“Luck in running will determine the difference, there’s not much between them. Hopefully one of them is good enough to get up.”
Additional stable hopes at the carnival include Ka Bling in the Luskin Star Stakes (1300m), Fire Star in the Ortensia Stakes (1100m), and Wave Breaker in the Denise’s Joy Stakes (1100m).
Wave Breaker has a hometown connection through part-owners Annette English and Daniel Morgan, both from Scone, adding a special touch to her participation.
“They come from Scone so they are really keen to see her run well. Hopefully she can for them,” Snowden said.
“She is going great. It was a great run first-up against older horses and I gave her a trial the other day to keep her up to the mark. It was a good trial. She is going up there in really good order.”
If you’re planning to back Snowden’s team in the Woodlands Stakes or other features, explore Australia’s top betting sites for the best odds and offers.
