Horse Racing

Gerald Ryan’s emerging Sydney filly Snitzerland enjoyed a successful raid on the Mornignton Cup Day meeting in Melbourne on Wednesday, the Golden Slipper 2012-bound two-year-old taking out the lucrative Inglis Premier in devastating style.

Making a mess of her eight rivals in the $250,000, 1200-metre clash, the daughter of Snitzel broke her maiden status and saluted for the punters at just her second start following a close second to the Peter Snowden-trained Applegate in a Listed Melbourne Cup Day event last November.

The $145,000 first prize for today’s win, however, won’t count towards her official earnings for the upcoming Golden Slipper because of the Ingis Premier’s restricted status.

Still, it was a promising sign for connections that they could have unearthed a genuine contender for the $3.5 million Group 1 AAMI Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on Easter Saturday, April 7.

In Wednesday’s Inglis Premier, Snitzerland came away only fairly from barrier three draw with Corey Brown in the saddle.

Soon after jumping, however, she put her head down and relaxed nicely.

Brown was able to slot her into the perfect position up along the fence where she moved up into second to chase the frontrunner Magnus Reign.

As they approached the bend Snitzerland began to wind up, and once she pulled out her impressive turn of foot, she was off and gone by the top of the straight.

Surging into the clear and putting the Inglis Premier result beyond doubt, Snitzerland ($2.10F) stormed home to trump her closest rival, Road Trippin ($21), by an easy four and a half lengths in a comfortable 1:11.76 seconds.

Byron Cozamanis’ Repouser ($7.50) finished off the winning trifecta a further one and a half lengths away in third, a half-length clear of the fourth-placed second elect No Smoken ($3.70).

There were a couple of pretty handy two-year-olds in the race and the ease of Snitzerland’s win hinted at more and better things to come.

Likely to improve out of the run she proved herself a class act to follow heading into the Slipper, although punters should always be wary lining up the form of these two-year-old maiden affairs.

There was nothing to deter part-owner Neil Werrett from declaring the win as “phenomenal” however, connections hoping Snitzerland can progress onto win another race or two to earn herself a spot in the 2012 Golden Slipper field.

“That (the Golden Slipper) was always the plan,” Werrett said.

“So I’m hopeful but unfortunately the money here today doesn’t count.

“It was a really good effort there today and I think Gerald (Ryan) has her on the right track.”

While hesitant to declare her the Golden Slipper winner just yet, jockey Corey Brown was quick to credit her ability as a two-year-old.

“I’m not sure if she’s quite as good as Black Caviar,” he joked.

“But they’re (connections are) going to have a lot of fun with her.

“She really impressed me…she’s got a great turn of foot.

“She’s got a long way to go.

“I’ve never ridden a Slipper winner but as far as two-year-olds go, she certainly has the feel to mae a really hand two-year-old.

“She’s already there really, she’s a real two-year-old.

“She jumps and runs and you don’t have to do a lot with her.

“She’s a genuine two-year-old and maybe an early three-year-old and as I said they are going to have a lot of fun with her.”

Already Snitzerland is well within the 2012 Golden Slipper betting picture paying $16 in the futures odds at Luxbet.

Follow Snitzerland throughout the autumn and stay up-to-date with all the latest Golden Slipper Stakes field and betting news right here at Races.com.au.

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2012 Inglis Premier Results & Finishing Order

Mornington Race 6 – 15/02/2012