Well-bred Snitzel filly Schiffer will kick off an ambitious spring carnival campaign targeting the Princess Series of races including the 2011 Thousand Guineas this Saturday, trainer Gerald Ryan accepting her for the Rosebud Fillies Preview.
A rising three-year-old, Schiffer showed plenty of promise in her first campaign finishing in the top three in all of her career starts to date.
After running second to Karuta Queen in the Wyong Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1000m) in December, Schiffer went on to claim a strong win over Peter Snowden’s subsequent Group 1 TJ Smith winner Benfica in the AJC Corporate Membership Handicap (1200m) at Randwick on Boxing Day.
Schiffer then travelled to Queensland where she ran a game third, beaten again by Karuta Queen, in the $2 million Gold Coast Magic Millions Classic on January 15.
Given a six month break from racing, Ryan will bring Schiffer back this Saturday at Warwick Farm in the $70,000 Rosebud Fillies Preview (1100m).
After recording a one and a half length heat win over 760 metres at Hawkesbury earlier this month, Schiffer looks on track to resume and move onto the richer spring features in Sydney and Melbourne.
“She’s come back very well, she’s bigger and stronger,” Ryan said.
“She’s a lot more settled, I’ve been teaching her to settle this time in and she’s done it.
“And she does go through the wet, she’s shown it at home.”
The Rosebud Fillies Preview and the other Warwick Farm races this Saturday are likely to be run on Slow – Heavy ground, the track rated a Slow (7) on Wednesday with rain forecast to continue throughout the rest of the week.
Bought for $240,000 at the 2010 Magic Millions Yearling Sales on the Gold Coast, Schiffer has already won back more than her purchase price for connections having amassed $252,000 in stakes so far.
Only $42,000 of her prize money qualifies for a ballot, however, with Schiffer having won the bulk of her earnings in Magic Millions-restricted races.
“That’s why she’s come back now, she’s won a quarter of a million dollars in stakes but only $42,000 of it qualifies for a ballot,” Ryan explained.
Ryan is confident that Schiffer can dramatically add to that this season, the Rosehill-based horseman scheduling the four-race Princess Series for her after Saturday’s Rosebud Preview.
The 2011 Princess Series begins at Warwick Farm on August 20 with the $125,000 Group 3 Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m).
Ryan took out the 2004 Silver Shadow Stakes with Sweet Moss, and is hopeful Schiffer can hand him his second win in the feature before moving on to target the $400,000 Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on October 1 and then the $500,000 Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 12 during the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.
“She will run in this race on Saturday and then the four (Princess Series) fillies races along with the Thousand Guineas and then go to the paddock,” Ryan confirmed.
