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Snowden Happy With His Diamond Fillies

3 minute read

Impressive Sydney youngsters Catch Me and Anaheed kicked off their Blue Diamond Stakes preparations with smart barrier trial wins at Pakenham on Tuesday.

Catch Me
Catch Me Picture: Racing and Sports

Randwick trainers Peter and Paul Snowden have taken a focused approach to their quest for the $1.5 million Blue Diamond (1200m) at Caulfield on February 23 by basing the pair of Sydney winners in Victoria for their build up.

“I’ve had them down here this whole preparation so they are savvy with this way of going,” said Peter Snowden.

Catch Me gave the Snowdens, noted specialists with two-year-olds, a flying start to the season when she won the G3 Gimcrack Stakes (1000m) on debut at Randwick on September 29 in race record time.

She was followed two weeks later by Anaheed’s win over the same course and distance in the Listed Victory Vein Stakes.

Peter Snowden travelled from Sydney to watch Tuesday’s trials and was accompanied by champion jockey Kerrin McEvoy.

McEvoy won the Gimcrack Stakes on Catch Me and is keen to stick with the I Am Invincible filly through to the Blue Diamond.

Tim Clark rode Anaheed in her debut win but Mark Zahra took the mount on the Fastnet Rock filly in Tuesday’s trial.

Anaheed won the first of the five 2YO heats over 900m while Catch Me took out the second heat.

Anaheed won her heat in 53.71 seconds before Catch Me went much quicker, recording 51.84 seconds for the 900m.

Catch Me’s time was the second fastest of the five heats, the unraced I Am Immortal, a colt by I Am Invincible trained by Anthony Freedman, setting the standard with his win in 51.74 seconds.

Peter Snowden said both fillies will follow the same program in Melbourne with the pair to clash first-up in the fillies division of the Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) at Caulfield on January 26. Two weeks later they will meet again in the Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) for fillies as their final lead-up.

“They are two quality fillies, it is just a shame they have to meet,” Swoden said.

“I wanted to see a nice trial from both fillies and I thought they delivered quite well.

“Physically there has been good improvement in them, which is what you always want to see. They have got stronger and they look a little better for it.”

Snowden has a good handle on what is required to the Blue Diamond, having landed the race three times with Sepoy, Earthquake and Pride Of Dubai.


Racing and Sports

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