After being scratched from Saturday’s All Aged Stakes in Sydney, Gerald Ryan’s Group 1 winning mare Snitzerland is set to jump near odds-on territory in the Victory Stakes 2014 at Eagle Farm in Brisbane.
Snitzerland is clear favourite to win the 2014 Victory Stakes in Brisbane this weekend. Photo: Race Horse Photos Australia.
The smart Snitzel four-year-old was a dual acceptor across two states for the weekend having been in the mix for both the $400,000 Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick as well as Queensland’s $175,000 Group 2 Greenslopes Private Victory Stakes (1200m).
With rain predicted in Sydney again ahead of the weekend however Ryan has opted to take her to the sunshine state for a shot at the Group 2 instead of stretch her over 1400m on a possible wet track at home.
Drawn to perfection with barrier one in the small eight-horse Victory Stakes field, Snitzerland is dominating the latest markets at Ladbrokes.com.au paying $2 to return to form after back-to-back defeats.
She kicked off her autumn on a high at Flemington winning the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) before being found out by Villa Verde when second in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes (1000m) at Randwick a month later.
Her latest performance was a below par 12th behind Horse of the Year hope Lankan Rupee in the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) back at Randwick on April 12 where she failed to let down on a Heavy (9) track.
There should be plenty of improvement from that here then on firmer ground against a smaller field.
There are then three other single figure chances in the Victory Stakes odds with:
- #1 Spirit Of Boom ($4.20) – Tony Gollan-trained Sequalo six-year-old in Brisbane after some ace Melbourne form this time in, they ran second to Lankan Rupee behind the subsequent TJ Smith champ for their Oakleigh Plate – Newmarket Handicap couble before their latest run when taking out first prize in the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on March 21
- #5 Famous Seamus ($6.50) – Hawkesbury-trained galloper making a Brisbane raid here, returns to Queensland for the first time since their fifth to Lucky Hussler in the George Moore at Doomben back in December, they’ve had three runs this prep including a third in the Challenge Stakes, also come via the TJ Smith like the favourite having run 11th and track out of the Heavy range will be much better
- #8 Fire Up Fifi ($9) – Rob Heathcote-trained Bradbury’s Luck mare, this six-year-old grey ran third in the Myer Classic over the mile in Flemington during the Cup Carnival so has class, also third one run after that in Perth over the mile in the Group 1 Railway but hasn’t been able to reach those heights this prep yet, most recent effort was a 13th in the Coolmore at Rosehill over 1500m, a distance that should have suited
Also in the mix just outside the top four are then Heathcote’s other hope Solzhenitsyn who is first-up after running last behind Boban in the Emirates Stakes at Flemington back in November and the Natalie McCall-trained River Lad coming off a second in the Group 2 Expressway Stakes (1200m) at Randwick behind Appearance in February – both paying $10 drawn in barriers four and six respectively.
Check out the full Victory Stakes 2014 odds below, fixed win prices open now at Ladbrokes.com.au where punters have instant access to their winnings in cash seconds after payout thanks to the Ladbrokes Card system!1
