Peter Snowden is utilising his lifetime of experience with thoroughbreds to help King’s Legacy recover from a spring form slump.
The colt will be on notice to turn in a competitive performance when he resumes in the Hobartville Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
A two-time Group One winner as a juvenile, King’s Legacy opened his spring campaign in promising fashion in Sydney but had his mind on other things during a bleak two-start stint in Melbourne.
It is a pattern Snowden has seen before in colts, particularly when they travel and especially in the spring.
During his tenure as John Hawkes’ deputy at Crown Lodge, Snowden can clearly recall the mighty Octagonal turning in a lacklustre Victorian spring campaign in 1996 before regaining his super powers in Sydney the following autumn.
He is hoping to see a similar turnaround from King’s Legacy, starting in the Hobartville.
“It was disappointing to see him go to Melbourne and do what he did there,” Snowden said.
“But colts can do that when they go away.
“Octagonal did it. He went to Melbourne in the spring and just didn’t do it in his runs there, then turned it around when he came back to Sydney, so hopefully this bloke can do the same.”
King’s Legacy will race in blinkers for the first time on Saturday with Snowden saying the reason for the gear change is two-fold.
Not only does he hope it will keep the three-year-old switched on, he is also mindful many of King’s Legacy’s rivals have a run under their belts.
“He’s an older horse now, he’s a bull. He just needs a bit more focusing and he is a bit behind the others too,” Snowden said.
“They’ve all had a run or two and he is first up so he needs a bit of help to keep his mind on the job and run competitively.
“With colts, you’ve just got to be one step ahead of them.”
Jason Collett has ridden King’s Legacy in two recent trials and retains the mount on race day from barrier 12.
Ole Kirk was not among the Hobartville acceptances and will take on the older horses in the Group One Futurity Stakes at Caulfield.
