Peter Snowden is keeping faith in one-time Golden Slipper fancy Memo to bounce back in the Magic Night Stakes after blotting her copybook with her first unplaced performance in five starts.
After kicking off her career with a promising Gimcrack Stakes placing, Memo followed with a series of eye-catching performances, highlighted by a second to O’Ole in the Magic Millions Classic at the Gold Coast in January.
It had her perched high in Slipper markets before the filly lost some of her lustre last start when battling to the line in the Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m) won by Within The Law.
While Snowden said there were no excuses, he put the slightly below par showing down to the fact Memo was having her first run in six weeks.
“She did get galloped on, but she only had a small mark on her and was a little bit stiff behind, nothing significant,” Snowden said of the Sweet Embrace Stakes wash-up.
“I think she just lacked a little bit of fitness on the day. She wasn’t beaten far, three lengths, and she will be better for that run.
“She can turn that around. It’s not like she got beaten five or six (lengths).”
Memo is a $12 chance for the Magic Night Stakes (1200m) and $51 for the Golden Slipper.
If she wins on Saturday, the temptation to back-up seven days later will be strong, but at this stage Snowden says the Percy Sykes Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 12 is his focus.
“The Percy Sykes is the race we’re looking for,” he said.
“I never really thought she was a Slipper type of filly, but we’ll get through Saturday first. My initial thought would be to wait for that race a few weeks later.”
Memo will be one of two stakes runners for the stable along with Flying From Above in the Phar Lap Stakes (1500m).
The three-year-old only arrived last week having been formerly prepared by Anthony Cummings and Snowden admitted Saturday’s race was a significant rise in grade on his last start win at Canterbury.
“I’ve seen his runs and there has been a bit of merit in them, but it’s a huge jump in class on Saturday,” he said.
“He worked quite nicely on Tuesday and he’s a nice type of horse. We will know a bit more after the weekend.”
