Raging Force confirmed himself as a colt on the rise at Rosehill, giving Peter Snowden a Group 3 double when landing the San Domenico Stakes just two races after Grand Prairie’s Up And Coming Stakes triumph.

Having won three in a row through the winter, Raging Force ($—) made the step into stakes grade look seamless, defeating Golden Slipper runner-up Wodeton by 1-1/2 lengths. Snowden said the gelding had earned the right to progress towards tougher spring contests.

“That was a good test for him today,” Snowden said. “There was a Slipper placegetter, a Blue Diamond winner (Devil Night) and a few others that have shown plenty. He beat the A-graders there, they weren’t benchmark horses. The Run To The Rose is the natural progression we will take with him. That will tell us whether he can go seven furlongs or whether we keep him to 1200 metres.”

Winning jockey Tommy Berry was equally impressed. “Full credit to him that he didn’t want to over-race and do things wrong. He was happy to be there and that’s a new string to his bow,” Berry said. “He got a little bit lost in the straight and wanted to wander around a bit and I had to stop and grab hold of him but then he got going again. He’s going to be a better horse in the autumn but geez, we’re going to have some fun in the spring.”

James McDonald said Wodeton’s effort was full of merit. “If he didn’t have a check he would have probably gone close,” he said. Meanwhile, Beiwacht fought hard for third, with Adam Hyeronimus convinced the gelding will pick up a race during the carnival. “He’s got a good race in him this preparation,” he said.