Gold Coast barrier trial likely for Snitz
Leading Country Championship contender Snitz is likely to have his lead-up in a Gold Coast trial.
Snitz is likely to run in a barrier at the Gold Coast rather than a race at Doomben in preparation for the NSW Country Championship final.
The Matt Dunn-trained three-year-old is one of the leading contenders for the $500,00 final at Randwick on April 7.
The gelding qualified for the final with his win in the $150,000 heat at Grafton last week.
The Murwillumbah-based Dunn was happy with the win as Snitz had a disrupted lead-up to the race.
“We missed a run when Doomben was washed out and then he had the day of his trial moved also because of rain,” Dunn said.
“He got a bit further back than we expected in the Grafton race but I really liked the way he worked to the line.”
Dunn has the choice of trialling Snitz at the Gold Coast on Wednesday or starting him in the Three-Year-Old Handicap (1350m) at Doomben on Saturday.
“At this stage he will trial but the Doomben race is a back-up option,” Dunn said.
He believes Snitz will get 57.5kg in the race.
Robbie Fradd has been on Snitz for his past three wins and will retain the ride at Randwick.
Not everything has gone to plan in Dunn’s attack on the Country Championship.
He had hoped to qualify Saturday’s Gold Coast winner Mediterranean but the gelding bled from both nostrils and was banned for three months.
In an aftermath to Saturday’s Goldmarket, former New Zealand Stakes winner Sir Statham had to be euthanised after he was found to have suffered a fractured pelvis in the race.
The gelding won six races including a Group Three sprint at Elllerslie.
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