Peter & Paul Snowden’s in-form four-year-old Gold Symphony could be Ramornie Handicap bound after a smart Rosehill win in the $150,000 Listed Civic Stakes (1350m) over the weekend.
Civic Stakes winner Gold Symphony could back-up in the 2017 Ramornie Handicap at Grafton. Photo: Steve Hart.
The son of former Blue Diamond Stakes winner Reward For Effort relished the Soft (6) conditions in Sydney on Saturday ridden to a half-length victory by Hugh Bowman over the Brett Cavanaough-trained The Monstar in the Civic Stakes.
Co-trainer Paul Snowden said the team would continue to strike while the iron is hot with Gold Symphony who could back-up on July 12 during the Grafton Cup Carnival in the $160,000 Listed Grafton District Services Club Ramornie Handicap (1200m).
“When he gets on wet tracks that is to his advantage,’’ Snowden told the media post-win on Saturday.
“He is racing in great form, he has been all year and we will just keep him going, see if we can find another suitable race for him. At this time of year you strike while the iron is hot.”
The Civic Stakes success for the gelding followed a brave sixth when under three lengths beaten by the three-year-old winner Impending at Doomben in Brisbane’s $1.5 million Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1350m).
Gold Symphony had a luckless run in the Stradbroke, run on a Good (4) track, and enjoyed the give out of the ground in the Civic Stakes handling a three kilo rise in weight up to 56.5kg.
“Gold Symphony was held up at a vital stage in the Stradbroke and had to wait for Impending to go before he did — and he’s a massive momentum horse,” Snowden said.
“He finished alongside Clearly Innocent who we know is a Group 1 winner himself. But today there was a nice, genuine tempo for most of the way and Hughie was able to get out at the 600m.
“Since this horse was gelded two ‘preps’ ago he’s really come of age and is racing in good heart — and he can get through a rain-affected track like it’s a good (4).”
He still had a three kilogram advantage over last start June Stakes winner The Monstar (59.5kg) who was brave in defeat at Rosehill and who could seek revenge in the Ramornie Handicap.
“I’m tipping he is one you need to have a ride on to get to know him as he is a very tricky horse,” The Monstar’s hoop Dean Yendall said after the race.
Third in this winter’s Civic Stakes was the Jason Coyle-trained Slightly Sweet, the Charge Forward mare a surprise placegetter in a race where the $4.20 favourite Sir Bacchus could only manage to run a mid-field sixth.
Gold Symphony, previously prepared by Peter Moody, was a $100,000 purchase by Michael and Chris Ward’s Triple Crown Syndications from the 2014 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
As a youngster the horse showed plenty of promise including his Group 3 Vain Stakes (1100m) – Group 3 H.D.F. McNeil Stakes (1200m) winning double at Caulfield in August of 2015 and was a one-time Golden Rose favourite.
The Civic Stakes was just his third win since then and Michael Ward said it was great to have him back in winning form and living up to his potential.
“He showed a lot of promise but then lost his way a little bit,” Ward told The Daily Telegraph.
“But since he has been gelded he has really found form. Peter and Paul kept telling us this horse had gone to a new level.”
The Ramornie Handicap runs a day before the $160,000 Listed Grafton Cup (2350m) on Thursday, July 13.
