Sydney trainers Peter and Paul Snowden are masters at placing their horses and have picked up an important stakes victory for filly Wollombi.
The Group 3 The Vanity (1400m) at Flemington on Saturday was Wollombi’s fourth win in 11 starts, with her last three coming in successive starts.
Ridden by Damien Oliver, Wollombi ($12) scored a three-quarter length win from the $4 unibet.com.au favourite See You In Heaven with Papillon Club ($8.50) a further 1-¼ length away third.
Quinton Cassidy, the Melbourne stable representative for the Snowden father-and-son training team, said the pair are masters at their trade.
He said they fill you with confidence when they send a horse down from Sydney.
“She’s come down in great order and it makes our job easy down here to tick her over and present her to get the cash,” Quinton said.
Oliver was having his first sit aboard the filly but had done his homework having studied previous replays of the Wollombi’s Sydney performances.
“She had been winning well in Sydney and winning form is good form,” Oliver said.
“I like the way she had really been attacking the line, up there. It was a little bit of a jump in class today but there was nice pace in the race.
“I was hoping to be a little closer, but she wouldn’t have been comfortable if I had been any closer, so I just let her be happy.
“She joined in great coming into the straight and she was really strong to the finish.”
Oliver said Wollombi would relish a rise in trip for her next start, whether that is in the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 4 or in the Group 2 Kewney Stakes (1600m) the following week.
“I think the Kewney would be a good option the way she finished off,” Oliver said.
“A mile, she was strong, and the Snowden’s are very good trainers, and I wouldn’t like to tell them what to do too much.
“They know what they are doing.”