Snitty Kitty strikes early on Sir Rupert Clarke day
THE late betting push for Snitty Kitty was spot on in the Italktravel Plate at Caulfield on Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes day.
Snitty Kitty was backed in late from $5.50 to $4.50 with Topbetta.com.au and straight from the jump the result never looked in doubt.
Winning jockey Mark Zahra pinged the four-year-old mare from the barriers and it was able to get a soft lead up front. Nearing the home turn, Zahra asked for a little more and the daughter of Snitzel showed a significant turn-of-foot.
“She was quick out of the gates and was able to relax,” the in-form jockey said. “I gave her a dig at the top of the straight and she put them to bed.”
Zahra was aware the four-year-old would need a breather at some point during the race and with little pressure on his outside, Zahra slowed the pace approaching the turn.
“I couldn’t go full out the whole way. She got a cheap one (sectional) coming in.”
Snitty Kitty wasn’t far off setting a track record for the 1100m at Caulfield and that surprised trainer Henry Dwyer who wasn’t expecting such a forward effort fresh up.
“She’s really surprised me today, I thought she needed it a little bit,” Dwyer said.
“Credit to Matt Jenkins, he rides all her work and he said all preparation that she’s a lot more switched on this time.
“I thought on ratings she’d need to improve today to win, but maybe she has.”
The winner of five from 10 starts wasn’t expected to be breaking maiden grades, let alone winning on a feature spring day in Melbourne.
“I thought she was no good and we’d struggle to win a maiden with her to start with, but she just kept on improving and the decent ones, they keep improving,” said Dwyer, who hasn’t made any big plans for the talented mare.
“We’ll keep on the same path – those set weights and penalties mares races,” he said.
“She’s one dimensional so we can’t stretch her out past 1100m at this stage.
“I think she has improved so onward and upwards.”