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By Ray Hickson

It’s back to where it all began for import Huetor and trainer Peter Snowden hopes the result can be the same when he returns to Newcastle on Saturday for the first time in four years.

Trainer Peter Snowden (Pic: Steve Hart)

The now nine-year-old made his Australian debut at The Hunter meeting in 2021, winning a Benchmark 78 over a mile, and since then he’s won twice at Group 1 level and contested some of the nation’s biggest races.

Snowden said it’s taken some time for Huetor to get back in the game following a near career ending injury last spring and the Listed $300,000 NZB The Beauford (2300m) will tell him a lot.

Huetor, $16 with TAB on Thursday, failed in his first three runs back before rebounding to run fourth in the Group 3 Rosehill Gold Cup (2000m) two weeks ago.

“He looks well, he’s tightened right up, he had a lot of time out,’’ he said.

“It’s a miracle we got him back, he had a bad tendon injury in the Caulfield Cup last year and I thought we’d never get him back.

“It could be too that he had a long time out, those older horses take a long time to come up.

“We’ve been seeing all the right things at home but on race day he’s been going through the motions.”

On the back of being beaten 14 lengths, 12 lengths and nine lengths in his first three runs back Snowden changed things up and the much improved last run was the result.

In an ideal world Snowden said he’d like another soft track for Huetor but is encouraged going to Newcastle.

“I’ve been disappointed with him so we gave him the old boot camp treatment, a bit of jumping and a lot of extra work. A few less apples. It seemed to work,’’ he said.

“We worked him one morning in the blinkers about 10 days before the (last) race and the difference was unbelievable.

“He’s a good trackworker but with them on he went to another level in this work. We kept them up the sleeve to race him in them and that was the result last start.”

Snowden elected not to ask Xidaki to resume in the Hunter and he’ll kick off his preparation for next month’s The Ingham in the Hall & Wilcox Handicap (1300m).

The gelding failed in four runs last preparation and with the 3kg claim for William Stanley he’ll get the chance to make the positive start to his spring and summer that Snowden wants.

“I don’t want to give him a gut buster first-up, he’s going really well and his trials have been good,’’ he said.

“Back at benchmark class they won’t go quite as hard hopefully and he can travel a bit better and find the line better.

“In those fast run races, especially when you’re a bit soft, it can drag a lot out of your horse.

“He just didn’t come up at all. He was getting back and coming home half hearted, he’s a better horse than that so we tipped him out and he’s come back looking good.”

It’s been a busy campaign for three-year-old Grand Prairie but Snowden feels the Group 3 $250,000 NZB Spring Stakes (1600m) will be right up his alley.

The colt resumed in mid-July and won the Group 3 Up & Coming in August, he was seven weeks between runs when he disappointed Snowden at Flemington last Tuesday.

Huetor runs fourth at Randwick on November 1

“He went well but he didn’t take any turn properly at all at Flemington. He got caught three deep and on the wrong leg and wasn’t able to run on,’’ he said.

“He’s come back in good order and that looks a nice race for him. The mile at Newcastle will suit him perfectly.”

Peter Snowden on Seeiaye (race 1): “His trials have been good, he’s pretty bully that’s my only question mark. The owners want to give him a run as a colt but I think he might be a better gelding. He has got potential, he goes well, but his mind is on other things at the moment. He’ll have to be on his best behaviour, if he does he can run well but if he doesn’t he might find himself with an operation.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s meeting at Newcastle