Latest News

By Ray Hickson

She’s already a dual stakes winner and the Ciaron Maher stable is confident the best is yet to come from lightly raced filly Snitzanova, who kicks off her second campaign at Hawkesbury on Saturday.

Johann Gerard-Dubord (Pic: Bradley Photos)

Johann Gerard-Dubord, Maher’s assistant trainer, said the Spring Stakes and Sandown Guineas winner will present in the Group 3 $250,000 Elite Sand & Soil Hawkesbury Guineas (1400m) fit enough to be a major player.

Snitzanova, $7.50 with TAB on Friday, hasn’t raced since she finished unplaced in the Magic Millions Guineas back in January.

“She stayed in Queensland to spell for a few weeks,’’ Gerard-Dubord said.

“We gave her a jump out at Bong Bong and a trial at Newcastle and she’s good to go. She’s done a bit of work, she’s not a big girl anyway so she doesn’t take much work.

“She’s ready to run well, she’s forward enough. She’s well placed at the weights and she keeps improving.”

The filly gave an indication of her talent beating Engine Room and Brigidine Gal in a Kensington maiden before she claimed the Group 3 at Newcastle.

And a heavy track didn’t hold her back in the Sandown Guineas. Gerard-Dubord said the three states in three runs campaign probably told on her when she eventually got to the Gold Coast.

She’ll be heading north again after the Hawkesbury Guineas and, based on a pedigree that is familiar to the Frenchman, he says she will only continue to build on what she’s done to date.

“She’s from a very good European family, a late maturing family and most of them wouldn’t do anything until they are four or five so she’s bred to keep getting better,’’ he said.

“I think she should come back hopefully as good as last prep and if she does it’s a nice race for her.”

Honey Girl is headed for the Chairman’s Sale this month but Gerard-Dubord said she could be a surprise packet in the Group 3 $250,000 Richmond Club Hawkesbury Cup (1600m).

At her first run since switching from Peter Moody, the six-year-old had a tough passage in the Emancipation Stakes a month ago and was only beaten five lengths.

“She jumped out well in Victoria and she only came up just before her first-up run,’’ he said.

“She ran a good race but she was a bit keen going down to the start.

“She was wide with no cover and overdid it for most of the way but I thought it was a very good run considering how much she did.”

The mare was scratched from last week’s Randwick meeting looking for a wetter track.

“She’s drawn a lot better and she should find a wet track so I think that we can see the best of her,’’ he said.

“We’ve made a couple of changes with her gear. I know she is a big price but if she can get back to her Irish form she could surprise.”

Last year’s Queensland Oaks winner Socks Nation kicks off a prep that will send her to Queensland again, and a broodmare sale, in the Group 3 $250,000 Pioneer Services Hawkesbury Crown (1300m).

Gerard-Dubord said it’s very much a starting point, having last run in the Perth Cup on January 1, and she hasn’t run at such a trip since her second race starts.

“We know she wants further. It’s about giving her a big starting point to head to Queensland,’’ he said.

Snitzanova wins a Newcastle trial on April 16

“I think she has come back very well. Her work on Tuesday was good and she looks very well, she will improve on whatever she does and we will go up in trip next start.”

A decision on whether Tiz Invincible, another mare bound for the sales, lines up in the same race will be made on race morning.

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