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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Peter Snowden is expecting to see a different side to promising filly Memo in the Petaluma Handicap (1100m) at Randwick on Saturday.

Trainer Peter Snowden (Pic: Steve Hart)

In her two starts to date the youngster has been dictated to by wide barriers, meaning she’s been ridden conservatively, but Snowden says he’d like to take advantage of a slightly more favourable marble and make a statement.

Following an eye-catching third in the Gimcrack Stakes on debut, Memo charged into second placing in the Wyong Magic Millions after conceding a big start and meets the winner O’ Ole 1.5kg better.

Memo, $2.50 with TAB on Friday, is the current Gold Coast Magic Millions favourite and the trainer is wary there’s plenty on line given she had just $58,775 in the bank.

“She’s come on nicely, her work has been really good since Wyong and she’s drawn half a decent gate which is good,’’ Snowden said.

“I reckon she nearly gets the one-one on Saturday. If she gets that she’ll be very hard to beat.

“She hasn’t won a race yet but both her efforts have been worthy of winning a race.

“Hopefully on Saturday we can get a bit closer and she can slot in and still show that turn of foot at the end. I’d hate to think we miss out on a run if she doesn’t win.”

Snowden said the change of racing style shouldn’t be foreign to Memo and pointed out when the gates opened at Wyong his filly was clearly the best to begin.

With the run under her belt, he said now is the time to show she’s not a one dimensional finisher and is a horse with a future.

“In both starts she’s been the first to hit the ground, she jumps a length in front, but we’ve had to drag her back because of those alleys,’’ he said.

“It’d be great to let her stride forward a bit more and get into a good spot. I’m confident she can race on speed and still finish.

“She has a great mindset, she’s very focused and has just got a good motor.”

A step up in distance should see lightly raced mare August Bloom put her best foot forward in the Captivant @ Kia Ora Handicap (1400m) after a promising first-up performance.

The four-year-old caught plenty of attention with a rousing trial win a month ago but Snowden had to delay her return by a week when heavy rain struck Rosehill at the December 7 meeting.

He said her effort to be beaten just over 2-1/2 lengths by Disneck at Randwick two weeks ago was a solid pass park given she didn’t have the best luck in running.

“I thought it was very good. She got dragged back in the middle stages, she went from a midfield spot to second last and looked like she was in trouble,’’ he said.

Memo runs second at Wyong on December 11

“The last 100m she launched and finished really hard. What I liked is how good she was through the line, it was good to see her do that.

“Going to seven furlongs is perfect, she has a better draw, and it’s a nice race for her. It’s a good race but she is going in there still on the way up.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Randwick meeting