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Big autumn and winter campaigns await Snitz

8 February 2018

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By Glenn Davis

Trainer Matt Dunn has warned Snitz won’t be at his top for his comeback appearance at Doomben on Saturday ahead of the three-year-old's bid to qualify for The Country Championships at Randwick in April.

Snitz will be chasing his fourth win from eight starts in the Canadian Club QTIS Three-Year-Old Handicap (1200m) and will again be ridden by regular jockey Robbie Fradd.

The son of Snitzel has not started since winning against his own age at Doomben in September.

Dunn has a good opinion of Snitz who is out of the 11-times winning mare Tickle My.

Tickle My won more than $786,000 during her career including two Group 3 races and her best victory in the Group 2 Sunline at Moonee Valley in 2003.

“I think he’s a very good horse and I want to target the Brisbane winter with him after he comes back from Sydney,” Dunn said.

“I don’t think you’ll see the best of him until he gets to 1600 metres so a race like the Queensland Guineas should be perfect for him.

“He’s got a good record and has done plenty of work and had a soft trial to prepare for this race on Saturday but he’s not fully wound up yet.

“He’s got a high rating which is why he’s got a such big weight with 59 kilos but I didn’t want to claim as he can be hard to handle."

However, Dunn has 500,000 reasons to head interstate to qualify for The Country Championship (1400m) on April 7.

“He’s got to get into the race first and he’ll have another run at Doomben in two weeks before he runs in a qualifying race at Grafton on March 11,” Dunn said.

“The final is worth $500,000 which can’t be sneezed at.

“It’s the race I tried to win with Perfect Dare last year.

“Perfect Dare won a country qualifying race at Grafton but then went bad in the Country Championship on a wet track.”

Dunn will also saddle up Lifesaver in the Cascade Class Three Plate (1050m) and Hanwritten in the Canadian Club Class Six Plate (1200m) while Conniving will be scratched from the Class Three Plate to run in the Highway Handicap (1200m) at Warwick Farm.

Dunn is hopeful of a two-State double with Conniving who will be chasing the Murwillumbah trainer’s 16th Highway victory.

Conniving won a Highway Handicap at Randwick last June and is coming off a last start eighth to Quick Ketch at Doomben on January 20.

Racing Queensland webnews   February 8