The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Sheeza Belter ($5) has repaid supporters who stuck following a luckless effort in The Invitation at Randwick two weeks ago.
The Gold Standard filly has saluted in the Group 2 Hot Danish Stakes at Rosehill running down early leader Lavish Girl ($7.50) by a long neck, with outsider More Secrets ($26) a further three quarters of a length back in third.
The three-year-old is building up a solid record winning five from nine overall, after starting her career out west under the care of Western Australian trainer Luke Fernie.
Co-trainer Paul Snowden explained that it had not all been smooth sailing for Sheeza Belter, with a few setbacks occurring along the way.
“There’s no massive issues, just some infections and things like that that have taken time to get over and move on with,” Snowden said.
“Unfortunately, the work stops and basically (we) had to pull the pin at one stage and just stop and let all this settle down and go again.
“We gave her a really good chance in The Invitation. I know it was first-up and she profiles better when she gets into her preparation, but we probably had her as good as we could leading into it two weeks ago.
“Just to see her not get any daylight at all and just trucking in behind the main wall there was very frustrating.
“Here we are back on top of the ground and she’s winning, so full credit to her.”
Winning rider William Pike, who was in the irons for that Invitation run, believes the recent frustrations may turn out to be a blessing in disguise.
“I suppose it wasn’t a traditional second-up, she’s been in work for a very long time. The stable has done a fantastic job,” Pike said.
I don’t even want to know the issues they’ve had. We pulled a shoe walking out and I thought ‘Oh, here we go.’ But it might make her come on as a race horse.
“Being held back while she’s full of beans and having to learn to apply herself, her manners have come on in the short time I’ve been here.”
