Latest News

By Ray Hickson

Trainer Peter Snowden is confident well related filly Manaajem has the potential to jump a bar much higher than what’s presented to her when she resumes at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.

The half-sister to Group 1 winner Charm Stone starts what is likely to be a short winter prep in the Traffic Warden @ Darley Handicap (1100m) and if it’s as successful as Snowden hopes he’ll set his sights on the spring.

Manaajem scored a brilliant debut win at Wyong but pulled up lame when beaten as an odds-on favourite on the Kensington track back on January 15.

Snowden said it was the right decision to pause after that run and Manaajem is showing the benefit of that extra time.

“She hasn’t got the best knees in the world, she pulled up a bit jarred up so we tipped her out again,’’ he said.

“It’s just immaturity. She’s older and a bit stronger, she’s a magnificent type.

“She’s got black type in her for sure the way she works. She has a good pedigree behind her, a very good family, she’s by Tassort and the fillies go very well by that horse.”

After winning her first trial, Snowden elected to put a cross over nose band on Manaajem, $3 with TAB on Tuesday, and she’ll wear that gear on race day.

He said while she won that initial hitout she raced a bit too keenly for his liking but how she performed in her second trial told the trainer she’s reacted well to the change and is ready to go.

“We’ve put a cross over nose band on her after that trial and she settled better and she’s been terrific, it worked really well in her trial the other day,’’ he said.

“She’s showed all the signs she’s going to be hard to beat.

“The plan would be if she happened to win we’d look at a Saturday race and maybe give her 10 days off again and look at those good races in the early part of the spring.

“She’d need to get her rating up a bit to make sure we get into those races so she probably needs to win a couple now.”

A mid-prep trial win by three-year-old filly Catonahotinroof told Snowden she can be competitive in the Asahi Super Dry Plate (1300m).

The $550,000 yearling purchase has had four starts for Snowden for two placings and it’s been almost a month since she ran fifth at Canberra over the same trip as Wednesday’s race.

“She’s running well and it was a good trial the other day in the heavy ground,’’ he said.

“That breed normally go well in the wet and she’d be a chance in an even race.”

Manaajem runs second in a Warwick Farm trial on May 26

Snowden expects stayer Earth Dance to be ready to go third-up over a bit more ground than he’ll tackle second-up in the Vinnie Three Time Champion Sire Handicap (1600m) but is expecting improvement on his fresh performance.

Meanwhile, Lord Mayors Cup winner Touristic will head to the Listed Winter Cup over 2400m on Saturday week.

All the fields, form and replays for Wednesday’s Warwick Farm meeting