By Glenn Davis
Exciting sprinter Snitz showed he was on the right path to target The Country Championships at Randwick in April with a brilliant comeback win at Doomben on Saturday.
Snitz overcame a wide passage to down Umberto by three-quarters of a length in the Canadian Club QTIS Three-Year-Old Handicap (1200m).
Basara finished third, only a nose away.
The Matt Dunn-trained Snitz was having his first start since scoring against his own age at Doomben in September.
“It was a good win as he’s not fully wound up and there’s a lot of improvement to come,” Dunn said.
“He did surprise me how he sat three deep and still won.”
Dunn has a good opinion of Snitz who took his record to four wins and three placings from eight starts.
Snitz will return for a three-year-old race at Doomben in two weeks before heading to Grafton a fortnight later for a qualifying race for the $500,000 The Country Championships at Randwick on April 7.
“I think he’s got the makings of a very good horse and I’d like to target the Queensland Guineas with him during the winter carnival,” Dunn said.
Snitz’s win made up for the defeat of stablemate Conniving who moments earlier failed in the Highway Handicap at Warwick Farm in Sydney.
Earlier a clever change of gear enabled Murwillumbah galloper Morendi to return to his best form in the Coca Cola Open Handicap (2200m).
Ridden by Michal Cahill, Morendi outstayed his rivals to down Irish Optimism by three-quarters of a length with favourite Get On The Grange only a neck away, third.
Morendi’s win was only his second at Doomben from seven starts and took his overall career record to eight wins from 35 starts since owner Ken Lawson bought him at a Patinack Farm dispersal sale when he was two.
Trainer Darren Graham pulled a master stroke by removing winkers on the five-year-old and added blinkers following his second to Outraged at the Sunshine Coast on January 27.
Morendi campaigned in Brisbane during last year’s winter carnival but failed to measure up to the bigger races in the Group 2 Brisbane Cup and Group 3 races in the Chairman’s Handicap, Premier’s Cup and Tattersall’s Cup.
Graham hasn’t ruled out another shot at the Brisbane carnival this winter.
Racing Queensland webnews February