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Trainer Peter Snowden's outstanding spring is set for a big finish at Betfair Park Sandown on Saturday with a team of 12 horses representing the stable at the finale of the Melbourne carnival.
Photo by Racing and Sports
While champion colt Sepoy led the way for Snowden with his superb unbeaten spring campaign the trainer has also brought to the fore one of the most promising three-year-olds of the spring in the classy prospect Galah.
The regally-bred Galah will be lining up for his fourth successive win on Saturday in the $350,000 Betfair Sandown Guineas, a race Snowden has dominated since he took charge of Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley stable.
Snowden is aiming to win the Group 2 Guineas (1600m) for the third time in four years of training for Sheikh Mohammed, having prepared the 2008 winner Caymans and Kidnapped in 2009.
He went close to keeping a perfect record in the race last year when his representative Chasse finished second to Pressday.
Galah has won four of hive five career starts, coming off a first-up victory in Sydney to record successive wins at Caulfioeld and Flemington in the Carbine Club Stakes, leaving the impression that he is a colt with Group One potential.
Galah wore winkers for the first time when in the Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) on October 29 and Snowden is happy to leave them on the three-year-old in the Guineas.
"I won't change a thing going into Saturday," Snowden said.
"I've kept him fresh so hopefully he will be ready again for 1600m, but I think next autumn his best form will be over 2000m or further."
Galah will be joined in the Guineas by his talented stablemate Mental, backing up from a fourth at Flemington last Saturday that brought to an end an impressive winning sequence of three wins.
Snowden has three of quality sprinters Soul, Parables and Screen engaged in the $100,000 Kevin Heffernan Stakes (1300m) while his classy pair of fillies Anise and Disputes seek black type in the $100,000 Twilight Glow Stakes (1400m).
Snowden has Launay engaged in the $125,000 Group 3 Alannah and Madeline Foundation Stakes (1500m), Erewhon will run in the $125,000 Group 3 Betfair Eclipse Stakes (1800m) and Divorces is topweight for the $100,000 Summoned Stakes (1500m).
Snowden will also produce untried two year-olds Vital and Coins in the $100,000 Written Tycoon Merson Cooper Stakes (1000m).
Stable jockey Kerrin McEvoy takes the pick of the rides on Saturday. His bookings for Darley are Vital, Anise, Parables, Launay, Galah, Erewhon and Divorces.