Peter Snowden will be happy with one feature win at a revamped Gosford Gold Cup meeting but he is a chance to clean sweep Thursday’s three stakes races.
The Listed Takeover Target Stakes and Listed Belle Of The Turf Stakes have been added to the Gosford Gold Cup program.
Snowden has Euryale and Yulalona in the Listed Gold Cup (2100m) and believes a significant drop in weight will aid Euryale’s chances on her return from Melbourne.
Soledad has been saved for a first-up tilt at the Takeover Target Stakes (1200m) while in-form Babel and stablemate Classics take aim in the fillies and mares Belle Of The Turf (1600m).
Snowden decided to bring Euryale back from Melbourne for the Gosford Cup after she carried 60kg in her three starts in mares’ company, placing twice.
“I just feel the 60 kilos she’s been carrying has been anchoring her,” Snowden said.
“She races well this way, drops right back to the minimum weight (of 54 kilograms) and I think it’s a winnable race for her.”
Snowden also won’t discount the prospects of Yulalona but the outside barrier and rise in trip from 1550m second up are negatives for him.
“He’s not going to get any favours in the run from that gate,” Snowden said.
Soledad has won one of his three first-up starts and Snowden waited for the Gosford race rather than running the sprinter in the Carrington Stakes on January 1 at Rosehill.
“I think he just needed a bit more work and his work last Saturday was very good,” he said.
Classics drops in class in the Belle Of The Turf after being beaten two lengths in seventh in the Group Two Villiers Stakes.
In contrast, Babel has won her past two starts in fillies and mares benchmark races to earn a shot at stakes company.
“I thought Classics ran the mile out OK in the Villiers and she did a good job,” Snowden said.
“The two negatives are she’s gone to 58 kilos and she’s got barrier 11.
“She can go forward and probably will go forward but just needs a bit of luck somewhere in the run.
“Babel is in good form and should get a lovely run from barrier four on the limit weight.
“I thought it was a good time for her to have a crack at a stakes race.”
