Trainer Gerald Ryan took classy filly Snitzerland to Moonee Valley on Monday morning to tune her up and to educate her.
While his first aim was a necessity, the second turned out to be almost superfluous.
Snitzerland winning the Danehill Stakes at Flemington - photo by Race Horse Photos Australia
“She came here for some experience on the track,” Ryan said.
“But she’s trotting around looking at the grandstand.
“I’ve always thought she goes better the Melbourne way and she didn’t turn a hair here today.
“Always on the right leg, handled it fine.”
Ryan will saddle three runners at the meeting, all of whom have winning chances.
As well as Golden Slipper runner-up Snitzerland who runs in the Group Three Champagne Stakes (1200m), Ryan will run Ahdashim in the Group Two Moir Stakes (1200m) and Ironstein in the Group Three JRA Cup (2040m).
Of the three, only Snitzerland and Ahdashim galloped at the Valley and both turned in strong efforts.
“They were strong, they were good, they were relaxed,” Ryan said.
What impressed Ryan most was Snitzerland’s ability to lay up with the older and more experienced Ahdashim who he said was capable of pushing his now-retired outstanding mare Melito in gallops at home.
“Ahdashim is a very good worker, he could get Melito going.
“So to work alongside him and travel the way she did means she’s going pretty damn well.”
Ryan said the gallop also continued the improvement Snitzerland has made between each of her two winning runs this campaign.
“She improved from her first-up run at Rosehill to the Flemington run, and I reckon she improved more from then to now,” he said.
Snitzerland and Ahdashim finished off their work covering the last 400m in a smart 22.94 seconds on a track that is not renowned for producing good times over the uphill run to the line.
While Snitzerland will be odds-on to beat her own age and sex in the Champagne, Ahdashim faces a tougher task in the Moir.
But Ryan is confident he is far from a spent force.
“There’s a race in him over the spring, whether it’s Friday or not I don’t know,” he said.
“We might have to wait until we get back to Flemington.”
