Russian Revolution has taken a step closer to the TJ Smith Stakes
Russian Revolution lived up to his name by rebelling when Golden Slipper Day dawned.
And as the toey three-year-old colt prepared for his first race since October at Rosehill, a twisted hind plate added to trainer Paul Snowden’s anxieties
Fortunately for Snowden, Russian Revolution made it to the outside barrier and finished the Group One $700,000 (1100m) The Galaxy with a flourish to edge stablemate Redzel to record a fifth win in six starts, and first at this level on Saturday.
Snowden could barely watch as the race was delayed until Russian Revolution had his rear hind plate replaced.
“That’s how he’s been the last week or so. He threw the rider yesterday, he nearly threw her this morning. We’ve been handling him with kids gloves for the last 24 to 72 hours,” he said.
“It’s very frustrating when you see those sorts of things (the plate) happen but it’s ended well so who cares?” he said, after nabbing a training quinella with father Peter.
Russian Revolution, the $2.90 favourite, finished over the top of Redzel ($9) to score by a short neck. Jungle Edge, a $51 roughie, was a half neck back in third.
Snowden, who also had to scratch Invader from the $3.5 million Golden Slipper, was relieved rather than rapt after Kerrin McEvoy guided Russian Revolution a step closer to the $2.6 million TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 1.
“We knew the weight was going to kick in at some stage and obviously it was late in the last hundred yards and that’s the only difference probably at the end of the day, pulling the weight.”
McEvoy happily dropped weight to make the required 51kg while Redzel carried 54.5kg with Dwayne Dunn.
“I had to do it tough. I was four wide and I had to help him through the ground a bit. I asked him for a supreme effort over the last hundred and he gave his all,” McEvoy said, before praising the Snowden duo for getting the horse ready for his first run since a fourth in October’s Coolmore Stud Stakes.
“They’ve got him there first-up to perform against older horses. He’s a great sprinter in his own right and he’s shown that.”
Snowden described the TJ Smith as a “massive possibility” providing Russian Revolution recovered and doubted the lead-up would be as fraught as his comeback.
“It’s just the freshness. We had to get this out of the way. He’s been ready to go, he’s been that full of himself,” he said.
“He’s got away with it so this will tone him down now and he’ll be fine.”
