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By Ray Hickson

The possibility of rain spoiling Zealously’s shot at Saturday’s Group 3 $300,000 MCR The Warra (1000m) is on trainer Peter Snowden’s mind but he’d arguably be more nervous about the return of Quietly Arrogant at Kembla Grange.

Trainer Peter Snowden (Pic: Steve Hart)

The three-year-old was highly regarded by Snowden as a youngster and he contested the Golden Slipper earlier this year but a failure at his following start saw him gelded.

When he returned for Listed race in Brisbane in the winter he let Snowden down again but he’s pushed the reset button and from what he’s seen at home he’d be disappointed if Quietly Arrogant doesn’t show something in the ABAX Civil Handicap (1200m).

“I’m very frightened of him because he showed me a lot as a colt racing in good company,’’ Snowden said.

“We hand picked the race for him in Brisbane and he went like a dropkick and did nothing.

“I’ve got to say his two trials have been very good and his work has been excellent. It’s hard to tip him but on work alone he’d be very hard to beat.”

Last time we saw stablemate Applaud at the races he was known as California Secret and it’s somewhat appropriate he debuts his new moniker alongside Quietly Arrogant.

The gelding moved through the grades with three wins on end at the start of last campaign and in his latest trial he ran a close second to Miss Spacegirl who returned a winner.

“He’s going well, they’ve been workmates all the way through and there’s been a split match between them,” Snowden said.

“I thought both his trials have been good, he’s there to run well and if we do get rain it will enhance his chances as well.”

Snowden says the forecast does concern him for Zealously’s bid to win The Warra given soft ground makes him vulnerable and heavy ground is his kryptonite.

The four-year-old, $2.10 with TAB on Friday, has been marking time since he ran a close third in the Group 2 Caulfield Sprint (1000m) on Everest Day and regardless of whether he runs or not Snowden is confident he’s a sprinter of the future.

“I think he will definitely make a good level. He’s already stakes placed and he’ll be there long term from now out,’’ he said.

“He can handle a bit of rain. The glitch in his armour is he runs third or fourth instead of winning on wet ground.

“He ran really well at Caulfield, he got it a bit wrong on the corner and he probably lost a length and was beaten a neck or so.

“They ran fast time but that was a learning curve for him and if we go back there again we know he’ll be okay. I thought he acquitted himself very well.”

There is the option of the Starlight Stakes next week if he doesn’t run at Kembla while the Listed Razor Sharp Handicap next month is in Snowden’s plans as he’d like to test Zealously at 1200m.

An internal bleed saw Amreekiyah’s late winter prep come to an abrupt end but Snowden said everything he’s seen in the lead up to returning in the Carlton Dry 3.5 Handicap (1200m) is positive.

“I’m glad in a way because it explained the run,’’ he said.

“We tipped her out, we treated her and she’s had a couple of gallops and scoped clean so hopefully we’ve got her back on track.

“She’s got a great gate, she probably doesn’t want too much rain. her trial the other day was very good, she was jogging in behind them.”

Quietly Arrogant wins a Rosehill trial on November 5

Peter Snowden on Flying Thinker (race 5): “She probably needs the run, she does tend to overdo things especially fresh. She will be better when she gets to 1300m and 1400m when she gets a softer time in front. I’d say she will run well but will be better for it."

On Cassiel (race 3): “He’s always been able to gallop but his biggest issue was not executing. He’d go too hard, he’d climb and over race. His trackwork has improved out of sight. He hasn’t run through the bridle and is doing things right. He’s still lightly raced, he’s only had 10 starts but when he’s had another 9 or 10 he’ll know a lot more about it.”

On Lavish Empire (race 9): “It suits him back at this level. He’s a bit cunning, if he doesn’t get to the outside he doesn’t let go properly. He drew barrier one and he’s not one to do anything more than he has to when he’s inside them. He’s drawn a gate where we can probably get him to the outside and we could see him back to his old form.”

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