Snowden: Winkers Go On for Hightail, Bondi Much Improved

The Peter & Paul Snowden stable will look to claim their second win in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m) on the Gold Coast this weekend.

Two-year-old Hightail is one of the stables double chances in the talented 16 horse field, opening at $13.00 odds with Ladbrokes.com.au after a strong win at Kensington over a similar distance last week.

Hightail, above, sits on the second line of betting ahead of Saturday’s 2yo Classic. Photo Credit: Steve Hart.

Paul Snowden won the Classic in 2016 with Capitalist, who went on to win the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) two months later. The champion trainer says Hightail has looked better and better since arriving at the races, and doesn’t think a third start in as many weeks will pose any problems.

“It’s not the norm for a two-year-old to do something like this, but he was very soft going into his Kembla win and he won quite well on a very rain effected track” Snowden told Sky Racing on Thursday morning.

“Since then he’s looked better and better once he got to the races, and when you see him on game day he certainly hasn’t gone backwards.”

The gelding by Written Tycoon has won two of his three career starts, but his 2.3 length win at Kensington last week with jockey Hugh Bowman was a sign of things to come.

Hightail’s luck ran out during Tuesday’s barrier draw however, drawing gate 19 with Bowman scheduled to ride. Snowden admits it’ll take some luck from out wide, but he hopes a gear change makes a difference.

“He hasn’t got that blistering speed to compete early, but what he is he’s strong through the line. That’s what we’ve seen from him at Randwick, we’ve got winkers on him on Saturday, there’s always that little bit up our sleeve that we kept whether we went blinkers or winkers” Snowden said.

“Just where he’s at, just don’t want to flip the switch too much and ignite him too much, it’ll dull his finish.”

The Snowden stable also has $9.50 chance Bondi in the $2mil 3YO Guineas (1400m) a race prior. Again, barrier 16 looks to be a problem, although Snowden remains confident in the three-year-olds fitness.

He’s not a leading horse, there was no speed at Randwick and he got left there. He’s improved fitness wise and he’s as good as when we ran him in the Champagne.”

Bondi finished second in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes last April and will have jockey Kerrin McEvoy aboard this weekend.