Villers favourite ... Snow Alert ridden by Damien Oliver |
Winning combo targets the Villiers
13-12-2010 Daily Telegraph
SYDNEY'S form trainer-jockey combination of Chris Waller and Glyn Schofield are set to plunder another feature race with Snow Alert in the Group Two Villiers Stakes at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Snow Alert had a successful spring campaign in Sydney and Melbourne and his surprise entry for the Villiers adds a dash of class to the race. Schofield, who produced a brilliant last-to-first ride on the Waller-trained Bellagio Wynn to take out the Christmas Cup at Rosehill on Saturday, rode Snow Alert at its most recent start when seventh in Wall Street's Group One Emirates Stakes at Flemington on the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival last month. "Snow Alert was unlucky in the Emirates," Schofield said. "He ran a super race against a very good field and should nearly have won. I rode him in a barrier trial last week and he was in great order. He's going to be hard to beat in the Villiers." After a seven-start spring campaign that included a Listed Premier's Cup win and seconds in the Wyong Cup and Newcastle Gold Cup, Waller decided to target the Villiers rather than send Snow Alert for a spell."I don't know if Snow Alert is up to winning a race like the Doncaster Mile in the autumn but he will be very competitive in a Villiers," Sydney's leading trainer explained. Waller is likely to have two Villiers starters with Altered Boy set to back up after his impressive win at Rosehill last Saturday. Hugh Bowman has retained the ride. Darley Crown Lodge supremo Peter Snowden will also have two Villiers runners, Festival Stakes winner Dysphonia and Parthian. Dysphonia is striving to join Ike's Dream (2004) and Utzon (2006) as the only winners of the Festival Stakes-Villiers Stakes double since Castanea in 1965. Parthian was the beaten favourite in the Festival Stakes but Snowden said he was happy with both horses going into the feature Randwick race. "Dysphonia is a quality mare and I'm hoping for a dry track for the Villiers as she is much better on top of the ground," Snowden said. "The same with Parthian. Everyone has him down as a wet-tracker but he also prefers a dry surface." Newcastle Gold Cup winner Stratofortress and Southern Skye ran the placings behind Dysphonia in the Festival Stakes and will seek revenge in the Villiers.
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