Horse Racing

While the most highly-spruiked runner at Caulfield this Saturday will be Peter Snowden’s resuming star Sepoy, Darley’s No. 1 trainer is also preparing to saddle up a number of other top chances including his 2011 Thousand Guineas-bound Glissade in the $100,000 Listed Quezette Stakes (1100m).

Kerrin McEvoy is engaged to ride Thousand Guineas-bound Glissade this Saturday

The well-bred daughter of Redoute’s Choice from Zabeel mare Steflara races first-up in the Quezette Stakes having enjoyed a nice six month break in the paddock.

Glissade showed promise right from her race debut in January when she easily won her opening race at Randwick over 1000 metres.

After running second to Hollyweird at Rosehill next start, Glissade went on to finish runner-up behind stablemate One Last Dance in the Group 3 Blue Diamond Fillies Prelude (1100m).

“She had a short, quick campaign the first time in,” Snowden said.

“She’s a talented filly and looks in fantastic order.”

She is back on Saturday as one of the 13 hopeful three-year-old fillies accepted for the 2011 Quezette Stakes, Glissade due to jump from barrier four with ace hoop Kerrin McEvoy engaged for the ride.

“She trialled really well last week and I’m really happy with her,” Snowden said.

“Her work’s been quite sharp.”

Snowden said that Glissade had the potential to develop into a Group One horse this preparation and named the $500,000 Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on Wednesday October 12 as her ultimate aim this spring, despite queries over her ability to get to the mile.

“The Thousand Guineas is the ultimate goal, I’m just not convinced she’s a mile filly,” he said.

“She’s quite brilliant.”

Snowden said that the plan was to keep Glissade in Melbourne all the way through until the Thousand Guineas.

“Yes it will (her campaign will be in Melbourne only), if we find along the way that the mile is too hard for her we’ll change,” he said.

Notable rivals Glissade faces in the Quezette Stakes on Saturday include Clarry Conners’ Group 2 winner Satin Shoes, Peter Moody’s promising duo of Cute Emily and Metonymy and the now Robert Smerdon-trained Golden Slipper runner-up Mosheen.

Another filly from Snowden’s stables that is vying for a start in the Thousand Guineas 2011 this Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival is Aerobatics.

Last preparation Exceed And Excel filly Aerobatics was just shy of the real top gun two-year-olds going around, but she is brimming with potential for improvement according to Snowden.

She won on debut at Randwick back in December and then enjoyed three strong runs during the autumn.

A fifth place finish behind the Gai Waterhouse-trained Shared Reflections in the Group 3 Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m) at Warwick Farm was followed by her third to Altar in the Group 2 Magic Night Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on March 26, which has been Aerobatics’ best performance to date.

Last start she ran fourth to Streama in the Listed Keith Mackay Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 16 and Snowden is currently assessing where she will kick-off.

“She trials on Thursday (at Warwick Farm) and if she pulls up well I’ll run her in the Silver Shadow,” he said.

The $125,000 Group 3 Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) runs at Warwick Farm on August 20.

He hoped to get her to the Thousand Guineas, but said that the $400,000 Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on October 1 was also a viable option during the Sydney Spring Carnival.

“It could be more likely that we target the Flight Stakes here (in Sydney),” Snowden said.

In the 2011 Thousand Guineas odds, Glissade occupies the second line of betting paying $13 behind equal $11 favourites Pane In The Glass, Shared Reflections, Anabandana and Elite Falls.

Aerobatics is further down the markets at $31.

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2011 Quezette Stakes Field & Barriers