The 2014 Golden Slipper odds of Ghibellines have drifted in the past 24 hours, but trainer Peter Snowden is hopeful that the talented colt can replicate his Todman Stakes performance in the Group 1 event at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

Ghibellines stamped himself as a 2014 Golden Slipper contender with an impressive win in the Todman Stakes. Photo by: Steve Hart

Ghibellines’ Golden Slipper odds were crunched after he scored an impressive win in the Group 2 Todman Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on March 22 and he was well-backed after the barrier draw on Wednesday, but his price has lengthened in the past 24 hours as the support has come in for Mossfun.

Snowden was delighted with the Todman Stakes performance of Ghibellines and is hoping that can replicate that performance and defy the betting drift in the Golden Slipper this weekend.

“He has always shown good ability and I really like the horse, but he has been his own worst enemy,” Snowden told Racing Ahead this morning.

“Last week it was the first time that he jumped and settled and riding him that way probably suited him.

“He quickened really nicely and his sectionals were great, so we will ride him in the same sort of vain on Saturday.

“He has drawn two and we won’t drag him back or push him forward; we will let him find his own spot midfield or a touch worse.

“If he can track up the other day and race as truly as he did the other day it gives him a good chance.”

Ghibellines has done plenty wrong in his four race starts to date, over racing in both the Listed Canonbury Stakes (1100m) and Listed Black Opal Stakes (1200m), but Snowden has found that the two-year-old has improved with the more trackwork that he has been given.

The veteran trainer said that he has given Ghibellines plenty of work in the lead-up to the Golden Slipper because of this and is hoping that it will help the classy colt settle in the early stages of the race.

“I’ve stuck a bit of work into him; he worked Sunday morning and again Tuesday morning,” Snowden said.

“He ran evens on Thursday and I’ve have kept the work up on him and he thrives on it.

“If he is too fresh he does things wrong, but if I can find that happy medium with him and get his head in the right place I think that he will be better for it.”

Ghibellines is currently available at 2014 Golden Slipper odds of $12; with stablemate Earthquake ($2.50) still favourite from Mossfun ($4.80) and Bring Me The Maid ($11).