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By Ray Hickson

The job ahead of in-form three-year-old Raging Force to extend his picket fence to five in Saturday’s Group 2 $300,000 Yulong Run To The Rose (1200m) isn’t lost on trainer Peter Snowden.

Trainer Peter Snowden (Pic: Steve Hart)

Not only does he face a rematch with Golden Slipper runner-up Wodeton from two weeks ago at Rosehill he’ll meet a big field of peers that Snowden says is stacked with depth.

But, after converting his ‘winter form’ into a Group 3 San Domenico Stakes win, Snowden said the gelding has what it takes to more than make his presence felt again.

“He’s ready for it. He’s had a good prep, a really good first-up run and he’s really come on from that,’’ he said.

“The draw is okay, he’s meeting some good horses here and probably the best around at the moment so he’ll need to be at his best to run well. But I’m confident he can do that.

“He can absorb pressure, he can sit behind them. I’m not saying he’s a good thing but he certainly hasn’t missed a beat since his last start win.

“It’s a solid race no doubt about it, hopefully we can keep raising the bar and he can keep jumping.”

Raging Force’s San Domenico win didn’t come without its controversy after he wanted to lay in inside the 200m and wound up hampering Wodeton.

Snowden, who won the Run To The Rose in successive years with Desuetude (2008) and Denman, said the win vindicated his opinion of Raging Force, $3.20 with TAB on Wednesday, and he doesn’t see the step to 1200m any issue.

“You can get carried away with winter form but I thought he met a few handy ones last start,’’ he said.

“He ducked in a little bit down the straight but I don’t think it mattered, I thought he had them held safely and I was more than comfortable with what he did.”

In what is a dress rehearsal for the Golden Rose (1400m), Raging Force is an $11 chance with TAB in the Group 1 on September 27.

If lightly raced colt Powerhouse takes his place alongside Up & Coming Stakes winner Grand Prairie in the Group 3 $250,000 Chandon Ming Dynasty Quality (1400m) it’ll be worth taking note.

While he’s coming off a provincial maiden win, Snowden said the Extreme Choice youngster is showing plenty of potential and improving in leaps and bounds with each run.

“I’ve done it before with horses that come off maiden wins, it’s a race you can sometimes jag the right sort of field though this year looks tougher than normal,’’ he said.

“I like the horse, he’s by the right stallion. I reckon he has the same amount of ability as Grand Prairie.

“His first run was okay, his second run was good, his third run was brilliant. He keeps improving, every start he’s had he’s improved three or four lengths every time.”

On the subject of Grand Prairie, who prevailed in the roughhouse event two weeks ago, Snowden said he’s not gone backwards since the win and it might well have toughened him up even more.

“He’s in really good order, Kerrin (McEvoy) had a feel for him on Tuesday morning and said he liked what he felt,’’ he said.

Raging Force wins the San Domenico Stakes

“We’re going to the races with a live chance again. I don’t think 1400m is going to be a problem on what I saw the other day.”

Peter Snowden on Fire Star (race 5): “It was a funny sort of prep for him, he was missing the start and when he got back he wasn’t running on. He needs to be up there up front and dictating to others. He trialled very good at Rosehill, his time wasn’t much outside Private Harry on the clock. We all know what he can do and hopefully this preparation he can step back up. Hopefully we can ride him with a bit of aggression and get back that old form.”

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