Take two of the Winter Challenge might look less appealing than the original, but that won’t stop trainer Joe Pride from giving Snippy Fox an opportunity to snare some valuable black type.
The Listed race was part of the washed-out program at Randwick last Saturday and rather than lose the feature, racing officials opted to move it back seven days and shift it to Rosehill.
Top galloper Mugatoo was scratched from the 1500m assignment last week due to the heavy track and while he was renominated, he was not among the acceptances on Wednesday.
However, high class import Gold Trip has again been paid up to make his Australian debut while there are also some fresh faces, including promising Tulloch Lodge galloper Cross Talk.
Pride believes the latest version of the race probably boasts more depth, but he remains keen to see how Snippy Fox handles her first trip to Rosehill.
“It was probably a more attractive race for her last week when the scratchings came out,” Pride said.
“She has never been to Rosehill and she has won at Randwick, but the way Rosehill plays, you would like to think it will suit her.
“It’s a tough assignment for her. When you put mares in stakes races you are rolling the dice a little bit, but it’s worthwhile if it all comes off.”
A winner up to 1400m, Snippy Fox was warming up late when a first-up fourth to Dragonstone in the June Stakes (1100m) and was again strong to the line when doing best of the chasers behind a dominant Waihaha Falls over 1200m at Randwick last start.
Pride gave her a barrier trial in between those runs and she has had two strong gallops to keep her ticking over since last week.
While she isn’t the best trackworker in the stable, Pride is content that she is spot-on for Saturday’s assignment.
“She trials and works quite poorly for a horse that can race at the standard she does, so she is a very hard horse to get a line on,” he said.
“Her two runs in have been very encouraging and she’s had four trials this prep as well so she’s got the miles under her legs to run 1500, it’s just a matter of whether she can do it in stakes grade.”
