Twelve months after capturing the Clarendon Stakes on the corresponding program, Media World will return to Hawkesbury on a mission to add the Guineas to his resume.
The Yulong-owned colt broke his maiden in the two-year-old race last year and wasn’t far off some of the better three-year-olds in the spring, bumping into Autumn Glow and Lady Shenandoah at his first two appearances before placing behind Swiftfalcon in the Listed Dulcify Quality (1600m).
Opting to bypass the cream of the crop during the Sydney autumn carnival, trainer Peter Snowden picked out a midweek assignment at Warwick Farm for Media World’s first-up run and he got the job done with a determined win to earn a Guineas start.
“I didn’t think he was up to the really good races so I purposely backed off him and brought him in a bit later,” Snowden said.
“So far, he has ticked that first box off at Warwick Farm the other day and had a really good win.
“Hopefully he can go to Hawkesbury and do a similar thing.”
Tyler Schiller will partner Media World from barrier 11, while Chad Schofield has the ride on stablemate Fearless, who had drawn the outside gate in the field of 16 plus one emergency.
Placed behind Broadsiding and Linebacker in last year’s Champagne Stakes (1600m), Fearless tackles the Guineas third-up after a midfield effort in the South Pacific Classic (1400m) at Randwick where he was forced to work early from a wide draw.
“Fearless is going really well and he will be very well suited there,” Snowden said.
“He is third-up and he had a hard run the other day, which topped him off nicely.
“I’ve always liked him and a wet track will only help his chances.”
Both colts are under consideration for a winter carnival campaign in Queensland, pending their respective efforts in the Hawkesbury Guineas (1400m).
“The normal progression if they’re going well enough, and they’ve got to be going well, is the Fred Best Classic, and then maybe onto the Stradbroke (Handicap) if they’re to venture that far,” Snowden said.
“We will just take one step at a time and get through Hawkesbury first.”
