Horse Racing

A classy group of three-year-old sprinters will be on show at Flemington on Saturday for the Group 1 2012 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m).

Snitzerland heads the Coolmore Stud Stakes field

Heading the field is Gerald Ryan’s star sprinter Snitzerland who has been outstanding this spring with four consecutive victories.

She returns to the track where she won the Danehill Stakes last month and Ryan is confident she can again impress this weekend.

“She’s being trained here while she’s in Melbourne and she’s had three goes up the straight for two wins and a second,” he said.

There is no shortage of quality in the 14-horse field and one of the main challengers to Snitzerland is Queensland colt Sizzling.

Sizzling has won five of nine starts and made a promising start to his spring campaign in the Blue Sapphire where he stormed home to be beaten half a length in fourth.

The Kelso Wood-trained youngster was unbeaten from four starts during the Queensland winter, with major victories coming in the Group 2 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes and the Group 1 TJ Smith.

Making her comeback since being stepped on during the Golden Rose is Patinack’s spruik filly Nechita who impressed onlookers at Flemington yesterday when winning a jump-out.

“She just cruised along behind them, went through a couple of gears and hit the line nicely. It was very pleasing,” trainer John Thompson said.

Also stepping out in the Coolmore are Fire Thunderbolt and Lankan Rupee who placed behind Snitzerland at Caulfield in the Blue Sapphire (1200m).

Adelaide gelding Fire Thunderbolt has won two of three starts while Mick Price’s Lankan Rupee has an identical winning record.

Others included in the field are emerging filly Jolie Bay and the Danny O’Brien-trained Shamexpress.

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Coolmore Stud Stakes 2012 – Final Field and Barrier Draw