Stratheden Stud

Snowland Heads for Slipper

By Caryl Williamson SYDNEY, March 9 AAP - Gai Waterhouse is primed for her second Golden Slipper after Snowland came out on top after a testing duel with Yell in the Todman Slipper Trial at Rosehill today.

TAB LImited's fixed odds still has Blue Diamond winner Bel Esprit and Newcastle colt Choisir equal favourites at $4.25 for the $2.5 million race in a fortnight but Waterhouse was brimming with confidence after today's effort by her colt. "He's had his knockers who said he couldn't get 1200 metres but he proved them wrong today," Waterhouse said.

"And it was a testing 1200 today. He's the best colt in Sydney by far and I believe Victory Vein is the best filly and the one to beat in the Slipper.

"She has form around Snowland and that form has stacked up. The only time he's run badly was in the 42 degree heat in the Magic Millions at the Gold Coast. "The beauty is he's shown he can handle the slow track today and can be ridden anywhere in the field.

"I wanted Chris (Munce) to give him a hard hitout because it will be his last serious workout before the Slipper."

A hard hitout he had, with Rodney Quinn getting the better of the start on Yell with Munce parked on his outside. The pair settled down to fight out the race with the rest of the field running for third place. In the straight Munce gave Snowland a quicken-up and he edged past Yell to win by a long head with 4-1/2 lengths to Takas in third place.

Waterhouse said Snowland would take it fairly easy over the next two weeks, as he always does. "He doesn't knock himself about, he conserves his energy," she said. "He's a true professional and a lovely, lovely horse to train. I couldn't be happier going into the Slipper."

AAP TURF

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