Impressed with what he saw from Queen Of Dragons in the Kembla Grange Classic, trainer Peter Snowden is now looking forward to giving the filly her chance in the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes at Rosehill.
Queen Of Dragons brought up her second career win, and first at Stakes level, when she took out the Group 3 Kembla Grange Classic (1600m) for three-year-old fillies on March 15 and Snowden is preparing to step the daughter of Pierro out in distance in Saturday’s 2000m feature against her own age and sex.
“She won with authority and she’s done everything right since the run,” Snowden, who trains in partnership with his son Paul, said.
“It will be her first time at 2000 metres but she ran over 1800 at Flemington (last spring) and got beaten half-a-head so I’m pretty confident she will get the trip.
“She was pretty dominant the other day. She was on the pace, pulled a bit and raced a bit fresh but she hung tough and won well.
“She was the last one to pull up after the race so it was positive signs going forward.”
Single Gaze in 2016 is the most recent Kembla Grange Classic winner to also take out Vinery Stud Stakes while last year’s winner of the Kembla race, Pavitra, went on to finish second in the Vinery behind New Zealand filly Prowess.
Snowden won the Vinery in 2009 with Purple when he was head trainer for Darley, and that filly was unplaced at Kembla on her way to the Group 1.
Snowden said Queen Of Dragons had always shown talent and he is hopeful the filly is putting it all together now.
“Maybe now she’s a bit older and a bit stronger we can really find out what sort of ability she does have,” he said.
“I reckon 2000 metres will be her right trip.”
The Vinery Stud Stakes is one of two Group 1 races at Rosehill on Saturday along with the weight-for-age Tancred Stakes (2400m).
New Zealand filly Orchestral, who is Roger James and Robert Wellwood’s shot at back-to-back Vinery wins after the success of Prowess last year, heads the list of 14 entries with VRC Oaks winner Zardozi, Flight Stakes winner Tropical Squall and Kimochi also entered.