Stradbroke not an option for Snippets Land
Consistent Sydney gelding Snippets Land is likely to miss next month’s Stradbroke Handicap despite storming home to an upset win at Doomben.
Snippets Land ($14) produced a run against the early bias of the day when he caught plunge horse Religify ($3.80) on the line to win by a half neck in the Group Three Darley BRC Sprint on Saturday.
The BRC Sprint has rarely been a good guide to the Stradbroke with 2014 winner River Lad the only horse to complete the double.
Trainer Peter Snowden said Snippets Land was honest and a real trier but was probably not up to Group One company.
“Snippets Land did a good job when he was second in the Prime Minister’s Cup at his previous start and he has gone one better today,” Snowden said.
“But really he is a just off the top horses and I am more likely to run him in the (Group Two) QTC Cup on June 4 than the Stradbroke a week later.”
Snowden and his son Paul won the race last year with Charlie Boy who then failed in the Stradbroke.
Winning jockey Blake Shinn agreed that Snippets Land probably wasn’t up to winning a Stradbroke.
“He isn’t far off top company but he is not there yet,” Shinn said.
Snippets Land took his prize money past $340,000 with the win which would just about get him into the Stradbroke field.
James McDonald said Religify had shown plenty of heart after setting the pace for the race.
The second favourite Artlee ($3.90) was 1-3/4 lengths back in third place and slightly disappointed jockey Michael Cahill.
“I thought he would win on the home turn. He might go better in a race with more tempo,” Cahill said.