Snitzerland has confirmed her status as Australia’s best three-year-old filly after winning the Group Two Danehill Stakes at Flemington.
Trained by Gerald Ryan, Snitzerland, the $1.45 favourite ridden by Damien Oliver, trumped her male rivals in the 1200m feature, edging out Stralia ($15) by a long neck with Rusambo finishing 3-1/4 lengths away third.
Snitzerland winning the Danehill Stakes at Flemington - photo by Race Horse Photos Australia
Snitzerland won first-up this preparation in the San Domenico Stakes at Rosehill last month.
She also ran second to superstar Pierro in the Golden Slipper in April.
Ryan said the tactics for Snitzerland were to stay just off the pace as she performed better when chasing horses.
“Damien picked it up through her tapes. I was happy, the result was there, she’s won,” Ryan said.
“She had to chase today, they went steady early and she had to go right back to the inside but once she found the fence I was always confident she was going to pick (Stralia) up,” he said.
“She got the job done, she’s beaten the colts again and now it’s back to fillies grades with set weights in three weeks and hopefully we can get the same result.”
Snitzerland has now produced three wins and a second place from her past four starts.
“She’s pretty adaptable,” Ryan said. “A lot of speed horses don’t go down the straight as well but she has.
“When she ran second here on Melbourne Cup day she hadn’t even trialled, she only had a jump-out at Rosehill and a jump-out at Caulfield.
“When she came down here she didn’t even have a name.”
Ryan said Snitzerland was learning all the time and would continue a path towards the Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington.
