Peter Snowden has long been a fan of top three-year-old Manawanui and admits his four Hobartville Stakes runners have their backs to the wall against him in Saturday’s Group Two feature.
Snowden will start Free Wheeling, Ambidexter, Galah and Induna in the 1400m event at Rosehill in which the Ron Leemon-trained Golden Rose winner Manawanui is the even money favourite.
Darley’s head trainer has seen plenty of Manawanui in the past 12 months with the gelding taking out the $1 million Golden Rose at Rosehill in the spring before staging an epic dual to be narrowly denied by Snowden’s star colt Helmet in the Caulfield Guineas.
“Ronny (Leemon) was a bit disappointed he got beaten but I thought his run was outstanding first-up,” Snowden said of Manawanui’s narrow Royal Sovereign Stakes defeat at the hands of Hot Snitzel two weeks ago.
“He’s a quality horse and no doubt whatever he contests they are going to know he’s there.”
With Darley’s superstar three-year-olds Sepoy and Helmet in Melbourne ahead of their respective trips to Dubai later this month, Snowden admits Manawanui is the horse he fears most in the three-year-old Sydney races this autumn.
“He’s the best three-year-old up here at the moment,” the trainer said.
Free Wheeling, a horse Manawanui got the better of in a race at Canterbury in May last year, was considered by Snowden as his stable’s leading Hobartville hope but he has to contend with barrier 12.
Snowden expects his four charges to make their presence felt in Group One assignments later in the autumn and will be pleasantly surprised should any of them cause an upset over 1400m in the Hobartville.
“They are four really nice horses but are all looking for that mile (1600m) plus,” Snowden said.
“All those four horses will make their presence felt in the autumn but in their right races.
“Saturday is not their right race. I think three of them – Galah, Free Wheeling and Ambidexter – are looking for the mile and I’ve targeted the Randwick Guineas with them.
“I feel the Randwick Guineas is the right race for them while Induna is naturally heading towards the (Australian) Derby.”
Free Wheeling had the outside barrier and raced wide in the Royal Sovereign Stakes (1200m) when seventh first-up.
Snowden said Free Wheeling and Ambidexter had the benefit of having raced in the Royal Sovereign whereas Galah and Victoria Derby runner-up Induna will be having their first starts since the spring.
While Snowden believes the Hobartville to be a touch short for his charges, hopes are high outstanding colt Helmet can farewell Australian racing with victory in Saturday’s Group One Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington.
Helmet is the $3 favourite as he bids for his fourth Group One victory.
AAP TURF
