Peter and Paul Snowden will saddle up three runners in the Dane Ripper Stakes after opting to give Jen Rules the chance to bow out of racing as a Group 2 winner.
The Redoute’s Choice five-year-old has been a wonderful stalwart for the stable, winning four of her 28 starts and placing in five black-type races, including a narrow second to Haut Brion Her in the Sheraco Stakes last spring.
She has been scratched from Sydney to line up alongside stablemates Dame Giselle and Reelem In Ruby in Saturday’s Dane Ripper Stakes (1300m) at Eagle Farm in what is likely to be her final racetrack appearance before she heads to the broodmare barn.
“She will probably go to stud after this run so rather than run in a benchmark race, she’ll have a go for glory. We will try to go out on a winning note if we can,” Peter Snowden said.
Jen Rules finished a close fourth to Love You Lucy in the corresponding race 12 months ago and hasn’t been far away in her recent runs, placing in the Hawkesbury Crown behind Dane Ripper favourite Sweet Deal two starts ago.
However, the Tattersall’s Tiara-bound Dame Giselle is regarded as the leading hope for the stable and should strike her favoured firm conditions.
She drops back to fillies and mares’ grade after being beaten less than two lengths by Vega One in the Kingsford-Smith Cup and comes into barrier two following the early withdrawal of In Good Time.
“She is probably the pick of those three. She’s going really well, she’s drawn the right gate, it was a really good run the other day and she has come on nicely from that,” Snowden said.
Reelem In Ruby will have to overcome the outside barrier in the field of 16 and while Snowden concedes she needs luck, he was pleased to see her return to form last start with a solid third in the Dark Jewel Classic at Scone.
“Ruby’s run at Scone was really good in the mares’ race. Her bad draw isn’t the best but she’s got enough gate speed to get over and get in some sort of spot early. She will need luck but she’s going well,” Snowden said.
