The first foal from outstanding mare Virage De Fortune will be among three nominations from Peter Snowden for Saturday’s two-year-old races at Warwick Farm.
Darley Australia, headed by Snowden’s employer Sheikh Mohammed, paid a record $3.4 million for Group One winner Virage De Fortune at auction in 2007.
Barbados, a colt by Redoute’s Choice, is scheduled to make his debut for the stable alongside city winner Bello in the Rosebud Qualifier for colts and geldings while Pillory will be entered for the fillies’ division.
The winners of the two 1100m races gain automatic entry to the Listed Rosebud (1200m) at Randwick two weeks later.
“I’ll nominate the three horses,” Snowden said.
“It’s a shame the races are handicaps because it rules some of the better ones out.
“I would prefer if they were set weights and penalties.”
Snowden is the country’s leading trainer of two-year-olds this season, making a clean sweep of the five Group One races for juveniles.
Warwick Farm is home to the Darley team with Pillory breaking her maiden there on June 22 while Bello won on a heavy track at Canterbury a week later.
Barbados has been prepared for his debut with three barrier trials, the latest a close second to the Gerald Ryan-trained Tidalzone.
Ryan will start the well-performed Schiffer in the Rosebud Qualifier for fillies.
Schiffer hasn’t been to the racetrack since her third in the Magic Millions at the Gold Coast in January but showed her readiness with a barrier trial win at Hawkesbury last week.
“She came through the trial really well,” Ryan said.
“We’ll aim at the Princess Series with her.”
Although Snowden dominated the two-year-old features, Ryan has also had a stellar season with the youngsters, preparing 10 individual winners of 15 races.
Premier trainer in waiting Chris Waller will enter last start city winners Mickelberg and Champalou in the fillies’ race on Saturday.
Mickelberg will run and possibly Champalou,” he said.
Champalou is also scheduled to run in a barrier trial at Rosehill on Monday.
There are four metropolitan meetings left for the Sydney season with Waller heading to a commanding victory over titleholder Snowden.
AAP TURF
