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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Peter Snowden says he’s being opportunistic by pointing Grand Prairie at Saturday’s Group 3 $250,000 Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL Up & Coming Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

Trainer Peter Snowden (Pic: Steve Hart)

At this stage of the three-year-old’s career, Snowden says taking on the best of the best is probably not in his best interests – that’s not to say he won’t get there.

It was only six weeks ago the colt won a midweek maiden but he took a big step when he pushed Skyhook to half a length in the Rosebud at his stakes debut.

“He's probably going to struggle against the A grade horses but I’m trying to find a level where he can be competitive and go from that,’’ he said.

“He’s a trier. I don’t think he’s reached his full potential yet and I thought it was a better option than going to the Run To The Rose.

“He’s drawn a good gate to get a good run and if he settles well he’ll run well.”

Grand Prairie, $7 with TAB on Thursday, has raced in winkers for most of his career to date as he’s quite relaxed and lazy at home and Snowden said the time is right to remove them.

While changing something that has helped his rise could be considered a risk Snowden saw more than enough in that Rosebud effort, while in receipt of 7kg, to be confident the change won’t have a negative effect.

“To be fair he had a really good preparation for that race and I thought he acquitted himself really well,’’ he said.

“I thought at that high level he might struggle when the races kept getting harder. I’ve taken the winkers off him and going up in trip it might not be a bad idea to try.

“He’s rock hard fit and getting out to 1300m I think he will settle well and run well.”

The Snowden stable has emerging three-year-old Raging Force on the Golden Rose path in the Group 3 $250,000 Smithfield RSL San Domenico Stakes (1100m) after putting three wins together in the winter.

He was considered a leading chance in the Breeders’ Plate on debut but Snowden said he’s just needed a bit of time and since he’s returned as a gelding the only way has been up.

Raging Force showed his readiness with a trial win just under two weeks ago.

“He had a good record last time in and his trial was good the other day,’’ he said.

“He’s drawn a good gate to get a good run and he’s going into the race with some residual fitness.

“Time was always going to be his best friend. He was in the market in the Breeders for a reason because he showed a lot of talent.

“He pulled up with an issue, while he was out he got big and heavy so we gelded him but all that has helped.”

Snowden has the fingers crossed that talented mare Amreekiyah can have better luck in the Bankstown Sports Handicap (1500m) after she lost her unbeaten record two weeks ago.

The four-year-old impressed the trainer with how she rallied to run fourth behind Pippie Beach after enduring a tough run and is rapt she’s drawn a lot better this time around.

Grand Prairie runs second at Rosehill on August 16

“I thought she had a lot to do but kept coming all the way to the line,’’ he said.

“She’s in good shape, she should get a nice economical run there.”

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