Team Snowden are likely to pay the J. J. Atkins late entry fee for Strasbourg after the colt scored a tough win in the Group 2 $400,000 Kirin Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Eagle Farm today.

Trainer Peter Snowden, above, said that Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Strasbourg would likely line up in the J.J. Atkins Plate at Eagle Farm. Photo by Daniel Costello.

Strasbourg isn’t among the nominations for the Group 1 $600,000 J.J. Atkins Plate (1600m) at Eagle Farm in a fortnight but co-trainer Peter Snowden said that the I Am Invincible colt will likely line up in the Group 1 for the two year olds.

“I will see how he pulls up. It was never my intention to go there but after watching his last couple of starts, he is not showing any gate speed at all,” Snowden said.

“He really wants to relax now and is finding the line better and better.”

“He has always been a horse that has shown some promise so it is good to see him win one today.”

Snowden admitted that Tommy Berry made the right decision to get Strasbourg revved up on the home turn although at the time that he thought he had gone too early.

“Gee you are going early mate, but he had the horse underneath him, he did a great job,” Snowden, who trains in partnership with his son Paul, said.

“As it turned out it was a winning move, he had the momentum up and he rode him very well.”

A late entry fee of $3,600 paid before May 29 will see Strasbourg into the field for the J.J. Atkins Plate on Stradbroke Handicap day.

Berry settled Strasbourg ($6.50) in the second half of the field and brought the colt with a well-timed run to claim the leader Garibaldi within the final 100m and was then able to hold out the fast finishing $3.80 favourite Accession with a quarter of a length to spare.

The Tony Gollan trained Garibaldi ($26) ran a brave race in front and held on for third while the well supported Gem Of Scotland ($4.20) never threatened to finish sixth.