Memo to punters: Don’t write off trainer Peter Snowden in 2025 Golden Slipper

Champion trainer Peter Snowden is going back to the future to attempt a third win in the $5m Golden Slipper next month.

Trainer Peter Snowden is hoping to get Memo (top left) and Quietly Arrogant into next month's Golden Slipper.

Champion trainer Peter Snowden is going back to the future to attempt a third win in the $5m Golden Slipper next month.

Snowden will have a greater appreciation of his chances in the world’s richest two-year-old race after Royal Randwick on Saturday when he saddles up talented filly Memo in the Group 2 $300,000 Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m) and Quietly Arrogant in the Group 2 $300,000 Skyline Stakes (1200m).

Both two-year-olds are by Newgate Farm’s leading stallion Capitalist who Snowden trained to win the 2016 Golden Slipper.

“It would be a great thrill if I could train a son or daughter of Capitalist to win the Golden Slipper,’’ Snowden said.

“There’s still a fair way to go yet and I think they are a very even lot of two-year-olds this season.

“Every Saturday there’s a different winner. The Blue Diamond was won by a maiden (Devil Night) last week.’’

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Memo is still a maiden after four starts but the filly is yet to miss a place and has run very well at a high level this season including her second in the Magic Millions and third in the Gimcrack Stakes.

“She has run well every start,’’ Snowden said.

“I’m hoping she can knock off the maiden tag on Saturday but it is a good race.

“We gave her nine days in the paddock after the Magic Millions, she had a nice trial last week and is ready to go.’’

Quietly Arrogant, who won the Gold Nugget at his second start, is also coming off the Magic Millions when he ran ninth behind O’ Ole and Memo.

QUIETLY ARROGANT was exactly that in the first race at @SCTurfClub under a cool ride from @ShinnBlake for @SnowdenRacing1 🔥
Earning a spot in next week's @mmsnippets 2YO. pic.twitter.com/Wo2qWHTPy3

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) January 4, 2025

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“I trialled Quietly Arrogant the same day as Memo and he’s a nice colt improving all the time,’’ Snowden said.

“His run in the Magic Millions was good. He drew wide and got a long way back but he was really strong over the last 200m. He can run well on Saturday.’’

The Sweet Embrace Stakes and Skyline Stakes were introduced in 1979 and have been reliable pointers to the Golden Slipper.

Fireburn (2022) is the last filly to win the Sweet Embrace-Golden Slipper double but a colt or gelding hasn’t won the Skyline and Golden Slipper since Dance Hero (2004).

Snowden is renowned as a master trainer of two-year-olds with 14 of his 49 Group 1 winners having been in juvenile races including his two Golden Slippers with Capitalist and Sepoy (2011).

  

He’s also the only trainer to win all five juvenile Group 1 races in one season with his 2011 clean sweep of the Golden Slipper and Blue Diamond (Sepoy), ATC Sires and Champagne Stakes (King’s Helmet) and JJ Atkins (Benfica), so he knows what sort of two-year-old is needed to be competitive in the major races.

“The biggest thing is a two-year-old has to have the right attitude,’’ Swowden said.

“They also need to have good change-up speed, travel well during a race, switch off and then have the ability to accelerate under pressure.’’

Snowden’s observation that there is no dominant two-year-old this season is unlike his Golden Slipper-winning years with outstanding colts Capitalist and Sepoy.

“Capitalist and Sepoy basically won everything except they were both beaten once in the Todman Stakes before they won the Golden Slipper,’’ Snowden recalled.

“I remember Capitalist was up and going early and won the Breeders Plate and Magic Millions. He was a brilliant colt.

“But I have to say Sepoy is the best two-year-old I’ve trained. Actually, I would say he is the best two-year-old I’ve been associated with even when I was at Crown Lodge and we had the likes of Forensics and Guineas.

“Sepoy won all his lead-up races and then won the Blue Diamond and Golden Slipper which isn’t easy to do.

“As a three-year-old, he came back in the spring and was unbeaten (five starts) and beat the older horses in the Manikato Stakes. He was very good.’’

Snowden is also optimistic Tashi can breakthrough at stakes level on Saturday in the Group 2 $300,000 Guy Walter Stakes (1400m).

Tashi has things go her way today and gets herself a nice win!@tomo_sherry with a tidy ride for @SnowdenRacing1. pic.twitter.com/oI3GN4zg8Z

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 16, 2023

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Tashi, who was placed in the Birthday Card Stakes, Takeover Target Stakes and Ramornie Handicap last season, has been improved by two runs from a spell including her close fifth in the Triscay Stakes last start.

“If you take Amelia’s Jewel out of it this is a very even race,’’ Snowden said.

“I’ve taken the blinkers off Tashi so we can get her to settle early as I think this is a winnable race on her best form.

“She ran well in the Triscay with a lot of weight and drops to 54kg on Saturday.

“Although she hasn’t won a stakes race, she has earned nearly $500,000 prizemoney and this is a perfect race for her.’’

Snowden has never trained the winner of the Guy Walter Stakes and is particularly keen to have his name on the race’s honour roll which perpetuates the memory of the champion Warwick Farm trainer who sadly lost his life after he suffered a heart attack in 2014.

“Guy was my neighbour at Warwick Farm for 25 years, he was a great man,’’ Snowden said.

“I often see his wife, Wendy, at Goulburn races and it would mean a lot to me if Tashi wins on Saturday.’’

Snowden also has Ka Bling lining up in the Group 3 $250,000 Liverpool City Cup (1300m).