Defcon impressive in Caulfield victory

The Snowden Racing team has struck in another early-season sprint for three-year-olds in Melbourne, with Defcon winning the McNeil Stakes at Caulfield.

Defcon’s 1-1/4 length win first-up in Saturday’s Group Three race came two weeks after the Sydney father-and-son training team brought Russian Revolution south to win the Vain Stakes.

After settling in the second half of the field on the fence in his first start the anti-clockwise way, Defcon ($7.50) didn’t go around a runner under jockey Dwayne Dunn.

He defeated the favourite Highland Beat ($4.80) by 1-1/4 lengths with Wazzenme another half head away third.

The win also brought up a stakes double for Peter and Paul Snowden after four-year-old gelding Redzel took out the Group Three The Heath.

Peter Snowden said they had learned Defcon, the Black Opal Stakes winner from last season, had a lethal 300m sprint.

“And if you can hold him up for that last little bit it takes a good one to get by him,” he said.

“He’s a more furnished product this time through. He was always a bit soft last time and the trip away is only going to make this horse better.”

Defcon will return to Melbourne for his next start in Group Two Danehill Stakes (1200m) at Flemington for three-year-olds on September 10.

The Manikato Stakes and Coolmore Stud Stakes are also options later in the spring.

“It’s good to see him win like that because I’ve got it in my mind he can improve off it,” Snowden said.

“Going forward to the Danehill in a couple of weeks it looks perfect for him.”