This Saturday in Sydney a host of two-year-old colts and geldings will launch last minute bids to make the Golden Slipper field on March 21 racing in the Pago Pago Stakes 2015 including the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained Paceman.
Paceman needs to win Saturday’s 2015 Pago Pago Stakes to earn a Golden Slipper start the following weekend at Rosehill Gardens. Photo: Steve Hart.
The $175,000 Group 2 Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) is one of two races on the Coolmore Classic Day program at Rosehill Gardens offering a ballot exemption to the winner into the $3.5 million Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) back at the track the following Saturday along with the $175,000 Group 2 Magic Night Stakes (1200m) for the fillies.
One of the 14 nominations taken for the boys’ set weights clash comes from the Blue Diamond Stakes winning stables of Team Snowden with Duporth colt Paceman looking to continue the good run of juveniles for his trainers this season.
He has had just the two starts to date for a win on debut at Rosehill over 1100m last November followed by a first-up run in the Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) at the same track on February 21.
In the Silver Slipper though Paceman finished second last when nearly 10 lengths away sixth behind the John O’Shea-trained Headwater who subsequently went down as the beaten odds-on favourite running third to Gai Waterhouse’s crack colt Vancouver in last Saturday’s Group 2 Todman Stakes (1200m) at Randwick.
The undefeated Vancouver has now won all three of his career starts and leads the futures Golden Slipper odds at Ladbrokes.com.au at a quote of $3.20.
Paceman is also listed in those all-in Golden Slipper betting markets but at a far more generous $34 to score an upset in the world’s richest race for two-year-olds.
That’s a price co-trainer Peter Snowden, who has ruled out a Golden Slipper bid for his Blue Diamond Stakes winner Pride Of Dubai, is hoping the horse runs better than this Saturday in the Pago Pago Stakes where he faces off against current $4.60 Golden Slipper second favourite Exosphere.
Godolphin’s Lonhro colt has won two from three to date including the Group 2 Skyline Stakes (1200m) at Warwick Farm on February 28 in a four length effort over the Rodney Northam-trained Odyssey Moon who is another Pago Pago Stakes hope this weekend.
Snowden has prepared one previous Golden Slipper winner with superstar colt Sepoy (2011) when he was the head trainer for Darley, now Godolphin.
This year he is after his first since leaving Darley / Godolphin to go out onto this own in partnership with his son Paul.
He will make some notable gear changes to Paceman in the Pago Pago this weekend looking to get an improved run out of the galloper after he struggled to make an impact last time out in the Silver Slipper.
The galloper will don blinkers on race day as well as a tongue tie and crossover nose band, and comes into the race off a nice 800m Warwick Farm trial when second to Furnaces on February 27.
“Paceman went well in a barrier trial and I’m happy with how he is going on the track, he will be there Saturday,’’ Snowden told The Daily Telegraph.
The official 2015 Pago Pago Stakes field is out on Wednesday morning, but Golden Slipper betting is already open and going off now at Ladbrokes.com.au making now the time to open your account with the country’s premier betting agency!
