Trainer Peter Snowden believes he will get a better guide on Pied A Terre’s true ability when he runs at Flemington on Saturday.
The rising three-year-old, by Group One Queen Anne Stakes winner Ad Valorem, impressed the stable when he made a winning debut over 1200m at Moonee Valley on July 2, comfortably beating Valrouz, Heza Bargain and Motorised.
“He did a good job,” Snowden told Radio Sport National.
“He’s always shown us nice ability but he surprised with just how well he did win that.
“His work has been solid since and this race tomorrow probably gives us a better guide as to what his true ability is.
“Quite often they can run well first-up but not produce it second-up and so for us it will be a bit of show and see what we’ve got with him and see how he performs tomorrow.”
Snowden said from barrier four he expected Pied A Terre to go forward in the ACG Security Hcp (1400m) in which he will again be ridden by Dean Yendall.
“He’ll be handy. He showed nice speed at Moonee Valley and I think he’ll be in the first half-dozen quite easily I would think,” he said.
Pied A Terre is $2.35 favourite with TAB Sportsbet ahead of Heza Bargain at $6, Motorised at $6.50 and Tale Of The Sea at $7.50.
Meanwhile, boom stablemate Lohengrin resumes in the King Island Dairy Hcp (1100m).
The Lonhro gelding attracted a lot of attention on debut when he won a Ballarat three-year-old by eight lengths from Domesky who three starts later won the Group Two Alister Clark Stakes (2040m) at Moonee Valley.
Lohengrin was spelled after his second start when runner-up as long odds-on favourite to Mr Make Believe in a Kilmore 0-68 Hcp (1200m) on February 27.
The Peter Moody-trained Mr Make Believe has won his past four starts in Melbourne.
“He’s a nice horse,” Snowden said of Lohengrin.
“A humungous boom went on him after his first win which was just media hype.
“To us he’s a nice horse but he certainly didn’t warrant the boom that was put on him.
“But I thought his second run was solid and the form was certainly franked later on.
“He’s come back well, he’s trialled nicely. It’s probably well short of his best distance but fresh it should be a nice race for him to kick off in.
“He’ll be midfield or a bit worse but to us the important part will be the end of his race, we want to see him strong there.”
Lohengrin is equal favourite at $3.10 with the promising Bel Sprinter who won well at his only two starts over 1000m at Mornington in December and Moonee Valley early this month.
Le Bonsir is at $7 with General Truce at $8.
AAP TURF
