Gary Portelli’s decision to split two-year-olds Fireburn and Snitcat could reward the trainer with a brace of juvenile wins on successive weekends.
Portelli scratched Snitcat from Randwick last Saturday due to a wide gate and stablemate Fireburn went on to claim the race.
Snitcat will get her chance in the Drinkwise Plate (1100m) at Randwick on Sunday when she will jump from barrier eight if the emergencies don’t run.
The filly has banked $37,700 in three starts and a top three finish on Boxing Day would go a long way to assuring her a berth in the $2 million Magic Millions Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast next month.
Portelli wants to see a bold performance regardless and says he will only take her north if he thinks she can be competitive.
“They have to tell me they’re good enough,” Portelli said.
“If she can’t do anything, she won’t be heading to the Gold Coast.
“We decided not to run her (last week).
“Over 1200 from a ‘wide-ish’ barrier, she probably would have had to be used up and she hadn’t had a real hard trial, so we decided it was probably best to be patient.”
Snitcat has shown ability in her brief career, enduring a chequered passage in the straight when eighth to boom youngster and Magic Millions favourite Coolangatta in the Gimcrack Stakes before finishing third to Ojai in the Kirkham Plate.
She was given a break after her fifth to stablemate Sejardan in the Golden Gift, a race which should prove a good form reference.