Peter Snowden is of the opinion that Crescent King possesses the potential to measure up in a stakes race this spring, having taken a significant stride in the right direction with a courageous maiden victory at Canterbury.
While his short-neck winning margin over Better By Far was slender, Snowden indicated that the three-year-old has displayed above-average talent at home and will continue to mature.
“A tradesman-like performance today, but I do like him,” Snowden said. “He’s always shown potential. He’s been a bit delicate, he went ‘shinny’ (shine sore) a couple of times but he’s sound now. He’s in at the right time now to measure up because there are some good races coming up quickly.”
Ridden by Zac Lloyd in Wednesday’s Hyland Race Colours Plate (1100m), Crescent King ($2.70 favourite) eventually wore down the leader Better By Far ($4.60) in the shadows of the post, with Vatican ($7) finishing three lengths back in third.
Snowden has not yet finalised a racing schedule for the winner, but he is eager to step him up to black-type company, with a race like the Brian Crowley Stakes (1100m) being one of the possibilities.
“He’s still very raw, but he’s got the ability to get there,” he stated. “I just wanted to see what he did today first. But going to these Listed races now, it’s a pretty tall ask. You’ve got to make sure you’ve got the right weapon, but I think he might be okay.”
The Chris Waller stable also holds stakes race ambitions for the filly Saffron Veil ($1.90 favourite), who held off stablemate Affari ($10) by a half-length in the Schweppes Handicap (1200m) following a pair of second-place finishes in her initial two starts.
Charlie Duckworth, assistant trainer for Waller, mentioned that the Flight Stakes (1600m) had been an initial consideration for Saffron Veil, but it would have come up too quickly, although the Thousand Guineas remains a viable option.
“She did enter Flight Stakes and Thousand Guineas thoughts when she first stepped out at the races, so you’ve got to still keep the Thousand Guineas in mind. The Flight will obviously come around too quick but that’s what we’re thinking,” Duckworth said.
Consider the racing odds for Crescent King’s next engagement at your preferred racing betting markets.