Peter and Paul Snowden have six horses engaged for the San Domenico Stakes meeting at Rosehill but their team could be halved if the forecast rain tips the track into the heavy range.
The training partnership has confirmed proven wet track performer Anaheed will take her place in the San Domenico regardless of conditions but stablemate Catch Me will be saved for another week if the track is significantly rain-affected.
Likewise, new addition Bleu Roche won’t run in the Australian Turf Club Handicap (1100m) if the rain comes, while former European Murillo is also in some doubt for his assignment.
Murillo has been Group Two-placed in England and Ireland but Paul Snowden wants to make a closer assessment of his form before deciding if he will start from barrier 16 in the TAB Handicap (1200m) against a field that boasts promising gallopers Desert Lord, Haut Brion Her and Fasika.
Unlike most imported horses brought to Australia for their staying credentials, Murillo is a lightly raced sprinter-miler who did not have the chance to show his true ability in two autumn starts.
“It was a troubled preparation last time. He’s a horse who has had bad feet in the past and he got crook midway through that prep which put him back again,” Snowden said.
“This time in it’s been a faultless prep. His feet are giving him no trouble at all and he’s a picture of health.
“It’s going to be good to get him into a nice preparation without anything going wrong.”
Former Victorian Bleu Roche will be saved for next weekend if Rosehill is heavy but if she does get her chance to make her stable debut on Saturday she has the ability to feature.
A Group Three winner during last year’s Melbourne spring carnival, Bleu Roche lost her way in the autumn and the Snowdens will start with a clean slate to see if they can reignite her career.
“Her form tapered off a wee bit her last two or three starts and she had all these gear changes on her, so everything comes off and we start fresh,” Snowden said.
“We’ve been happy with her. She’s been working quite well at home and she was a well-performed filly early in her career.”
Snitzel filly Wayupinthesky will tackle the same race having won her only start in heavy going.
She heads to town after resuming with a 900-metre provincial victory in which Snowden saw plenty of merit.
“She narrowly defeated a very fit filly and a very quick filly and ran slashing time,” he said.
“She’s always had black-type written on her this filly.”
