Preparing Nancy for her comeback to racing is among the tasks that has meant Peter Snowden has had little time to reflect on conquering the $10 million Everest with Redzel.
The veteran trainer was back on the job on Sunday morning, hours after he and son Paul celebrated winning the world’s richest turf race at Randwick.
Seven days on, the training team has a small team lining up on the same track as attention diverts to the Caulfield Cup meeting in Melbourne.
“It was back to normal on Sunday. You never forget it and you never take it for granted but it’s the reality of our job,” Snowden said.
So Snowden checked his boxes at Randwick, walked some horses, saddled them up for track work and finalised the program for the week ahead.
The trainers had a winner at Canterbury on Wednesday with Star Of Africa and on Saturday they have runners at Randwick and Caulfield.
Nancy carries the stable’s hopes in the Group Three Nivison (1200m) in Sydney, where the six-year-old mare races for the first time since running ninth in the Group One Tatt’s Tiara at Doomben in June.
“She’s goes well fresh and she’s got a good draw (two). It’s a competitive race but she’ll definitely run well,” Snowden said.
With many of Sydney’s leading jockeys riding in Melbourne, Snowden has called on Queensland jockey Damian Browne to ride Nancy.
Snowden and Browne have enjoyed much success together including two Group One Blue Diamond Stakes wins.
Browne rode Earthquake to win in 2014 when Snowden was head Australian trainer for Sheikh Mohammed. The following year when Snowden had become a public trainer with Paul, the jockey was aboard Pride Of Dubai.
Snowden said Nancy’s performance would dictate the schedule of her first Melbourne campaign.
If she continues to race over 1200 metres, Nancy will target the MSS Sprint on the Melbourne Cup program on November 7 or the Group Two Linlithgow Stakes three days earlier on Derby day.
Snowden is also looking to My Country to press her claims for a trip to Melbourne when she fellow and stablemate Astara contest a Benchmark 88 Handicap (1200m).
“I need to see a forward run from My Country if she’s to go to Melbourne,” Snowden said.
Astara races for the first time since June, with Snowden expecting her to improve over longer distances.
Snowden will also gauge Legislation’s progress when the two-year-old colt makes his debut in the Kirkham Plate (1000m) after two encouraging trials.
