Gerald Ryan’s nicely-bred filly Flying Snitzel will race for the second time this campaign when they take on Flight Stakes winner Norzita in the 2013 Kewney Stakes at Flemington Racecourse on Saturday.
Flying Snitzel will set up her autumn campaign in Saturday's Kewney Stakes. Photo: Steve Hart.
A daughter of Ryan’s former star sprinter Snitzel, winner of the 2006 Oakleigh Plate, three-year-old Flying Snitzel has had 12 starts to date with her baker’s dozen scheduled as the $220,000 Group 2 A.V. Kewney Stakes (1400m).
Having won just two of her runs so far most recently in the Group 3 The Schweppervescence (1400m) at Rosehill on last year’s Golden Slipper Day, Flying Snitzel was last seen running a credible first-up fifth to Bennetta in the Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) on February 16.
Originally Ryan accepted her to run second-up in the Group 3 Millie Fox Stakes (1300m) last Saturday however she was a late scratching saved for the Kewney instead.
While Snitzel progeny are known for being good wet trackers, Flying Snitzel is an exception and was withdrawn from the race in Sydney because of the rain with Ryan opting to travel to Melbourne to get a firmer track.
“Some of them handle it, some of them don’t,” Ryan said of Snitzel’s offspring.
“We’ll go to Melbourne. I think she will be suited by Flemington.”
It will certainly be a tough assignment this weekend for the youngster as she will come up against the Bart Cummings-trained Norzita who resumed at the Valley last month with a win in the Typhoon Tracy Stakes.
Norzita had Flying Snitzel’s measure in the spring when winning the Flight Stakes over the Randwick mile in October, Cummings’ incredible 265th Group 1 triumph, a race Flying Snitzel could only manage to finish 6.5 lengths away sixth in.
While Norzita has been confirmed for a return to the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival for the $600,000 Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill on March 23 and the $400,000 Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1500m) on April 6, exactly where Flying Snitzel will go will be guided by her run on Saturday.
Ryan is confident she will be able to step up in distance however despite her sire Snitzel’s sole run over 1400m being his fourth in the Group 1 All Aged Stakes in his swansong race in April of 2006.
“It all boils down to the horse,” he said.
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