Peter Snowden is confident Raging Force can still be a player in the Coolmore Stud Stakes and is set to take an unconventional path to the $2 million Group 1 at Flemington on Derby Day.
The Randwick trainer is considering tackling the older horses in Saturday week’s Group 2 Schillaci Stakes at Caulfield.
Snowden has elected against sending the gelding south for this Saturday’s $300,000 Group 2 Danehill Stakes and is toying with even sending him back to the trials before returning to the races for the first time since his Run To The Rose flop.
The son of Cosmic Force went too hard in front in that 1200m Group 2, in which he finished a 4-1/2-length seventh behind Tempted, but Snowden is happy with the way he’s come through it and said a trial could be of benefit.
“He had a gut-buster,” Snowden said of the Run To The Rose outing.
“He went way too hard the other day. I gave him an easy week and he is nice and bright again now.
“The trial is nothing more than just a jump out and relax him.”
The 1100-metre Schillaci Stakes is a weight-for-age event and has been identified at the likely first-up option for topline sprinter Giga Kick.
If Snowden wanted to keep Cosmic Force in Sydney for his final lead-up, the $300,000 Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes (1200m) is run on the same day at Rosehill.
Raging Force spent time at the head of Coolmore Stud Stakes betting after winning four races on end leading into the Run To The Rose, but is now a $15 chance.
Rosberg, Tentyris and Legacy Bound are those prominent in Coolmore betting among 14 entries for the Danehill Stakes.
