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By Brad Gray At Royal Randwick

Peter and Paul Snowden are widely regarded as one of the country’s leading two-year-old conditioners and they did their reputation no harm with Assimilate and Dracarys running the quinella in the opener at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Assimilate was impressive at the provincials on debut and despite co-trainer Paul Snowden suggesting throughout the week that the son of Sebring was still very much a work in progress, he still proved too strong in the ATC Members For A Day Handicap (1200m).

“It was a really good effort. We sent him to Kembla on purpose the other week as he is still very new in himself and very raw,” said Snowden.

“His work before he won at Kembla was very satisfying indicating he was heading the right way as far as his mental mindset was going and he has won accordingly and backed up with a nice win here today.

“He is still six months away and we’ll more so be looking at the autumn next year.”

Tye Angland was impressed with the feel he got from the progressive youngster but suggested he wasn’t completely comfortable chasing the hot speed.

“He was a little bit green up the straight but I reckon if he can get into a race where he can come back to them and he is not off the bit so far from home he will show an even better turn of foot,” Angland said.

Dracarys was only reeled in late by his stablemate after Adam Hyeronimus had earlier put the foot to the floor on the well-backed Commanding Witness, opening up a large lead turning for him.

“The telling factor there was that one had a run under his belt,” Snowden said.

“Hopefully they will go all the way! What they both do though, is keep improving. Early on Dracarys was a very head strong horse. Once we get them out to a little bit further they will come into their own.”

Assimilate proved too strong in the opener for Dracarys in a @SnowdenRacing1 quinella pic.twitter.com/Z5XX6VJs9i

— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) July 22, 2017

Meanwhile, the Chris Waller-trained Gresham turned in another eye-catching performance after running on from last, the same as he did on debut at Kembla Grange, again behind Assimilate.

“He is still learning his craft and got back a long way but finished really well. Further suits him and he is not the finished article yet so next prep he is going to be even better again,” said Kerrin McEvoy.

Results and replays for Royal Randwick on Saturday