Prominent racehorse owner Neil Werrett doesn’t have Black Caviar racing this spring but could still walk away with his third Patinack Farm Classic trophy.
A dominant performance by flying filly Snitzerland in Saturday’s Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes would mean a step up to the weight-for-age event a week later.
Snitzerland winning at Caulfield - photo by Race Horse Photos Australia (Steven Dowden)
Trainer Gerald Ryan said he had spoken to Werrett and jockey Corey Brown about the intention to back the filly up into the Patinack in which she will carry 51kg.
Brown rode Cox Plate third placegetter Pierro at 49.5kg on Saturday.
“I’ve spoken to Neil and told him if she wins really well and is still kicking her brands off on Monday then we will go on to the Patinack,” Ryan said.
“I’ve also told Corey and he will keep his weight in check on that basis.
“He seemed to do it quite comfortably on Saturday and looked healthy for Pierro.”
Ryan’s confidence in Snitzerland is well founded with the filly unbeaten in four starts as a three-year-old.
The trainer saw no need to put Snitzerland in the limelight at the public jump-outs at Flemington on Tuesday morning.
“She’s being trained here while she’s in Melbourne and she’s had three goes up the straight for two wins and a second,” Ryan said.
While he is aiming high with Snitzerland, Ryan is content to let the cards fall where they are and not push Ironstein into Saturday’s Lexus Stakes as a last-ditch attempt to qualify for the Melbourne Cup.
Ironstein’s owner John Singleton has had a bad week with More Joyous out of the money in the Cox Plate and his luxury guest house on the NSW Central Coast razed by fire on Monday.
The Melbourne Cup is a race Singleton would love to win but Ryan said it was not in the horse’s best interests to force the issue.
“We’ll just sit and wait,” he said.
“If he gets in he’ll run, if not we’ll wait for the Queen Elizabeth on Saturday.
“We weren’t tempted by the Lexus.”
The Group Three Lexus Stakes (2500m) has attracted 21 nominations with the winner automatically in the Melbourne Cup field three days later if among the entries.
Horses paid up for the Cup who miss out on a start are eligible for a $100,000 bonus for winning the Queen Elizabeth as Ironstein did last year.
