Peter Snowden has Limes poised for a career-best performance in the Champagne Stakes but fears it still might not be enough to topple Pierro.
The Gai Waterhouse-trained favourite has won all five starts including the first two legs of the juvenile triple crown – the Golden Slipper (1200m) and Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m).
The Champagne Stakes (1600m) is the final hurdle and if Pierro can win he will become the first youngster since the Waterhouse-trained Dance Hero in 2004 to make a clean sweep.
It is a tough task for a youngster to peak three times in a month and the query is whether Pierro can reproduce his best one more time this autumn.
Snowden has won the past two runnings of the Champagne with Helmet (2011) and Skilled (2010) and he will saddle up both Limes and Tatra on Saturday.
He believes both are nice horses but has the utmost respect for Pierro.
“You don’t want to take anything away from this horse (Pierro). He’s really good and he’s shown that,” Snowden said.
“He’s a fighter, he’s very tough.
“He just keeps pulling something out and those horses are always hard to beat no matter how many runs they’ve had.”
Despite the presence of Pierro, Snowden is pleased with his pair heading into Saturday.
The progressive Limes finished a gallant third behind Pierro and Black Caviar’s little brother All Too Hard in the Sires’ Produce.
While he is still learning, Snowden believes the step up to 1600m at Randwick on Saturday will be ideal.
“There was a lot of merit in his last start, to finish as close as he did to the two best colts around,” Snowden said.
“He did a lot of things wrong. I’d like to think Saturday will be his best run.
“The signs are there he’s still improving.
“It’s whether he’s got the class to beat a very, very good colt that remains to be seen.”
Tatra finished last in the Sires’ Produce but his previous form had been sound, including a fourth to All Too Hard in the Victorian version of the same race at Flemington.
“He just went a mile too hard (last start). There was a breakneck speed in the race and he got tangled up in a duel with two other horses,” Snowden said.
“He’s a nice horse. A mile won’t be a problem for him.
“Even though he was beaten a long way the other day if he’d settled he wouldn’t have been beaten that far.
“It’s just a matter of him going a bit easier in the first half of the race and I’m sure he’ll find the line better than he did the other day.”
A field of nine will tackle the Champagne and TAB Sportsbet has Pierro the $1.35 favourite with Limes at $8.50 and Tatra the outsider at $201.
