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By Brad Gray

Pariah “looks the goods” but just needs to prove it on the track now was the attitude of co-trainer Paul Snowden ahead of the flashy colt’s return in the $150,000 Group Three San Domenico Stakes (1100m) on Saturday.

With James Harron Bloodstock holding a slot in The Everest, Snowden certainly wasn’t shying away from the prospect of seeing Pariah line up in the $10m race come October. The son of Redoute’s Choice has impressed in his two trial outings, the latest splitting Winx and Happy Clapper at Randwick.

“He has prepped up well with two solid trials and he is in good order,” Snowden said.

“He was out there to do a bit against Winx but still had a fair bit underneath him so it was very pleasing but you want to see him start doing it on the track now.

“He’ll be third up into the Golden Rose and there is no dead given he’ll go to the Guineas after that. He might be a little bit too brilliant for a mile so that question will be answered in the Rose depending on how he handles 1400m.

“If he is going absolutely super, James (Harron) has a slot in The Everest or we could freshen up and go to the Coolmore.”

On debut as a two-year-old, Pariah beat a luckless Menari before running consecutive seconds in Melbourne, one of which was in the Group One Blue Diamond behind Catchy. His Golden Slipper failure was put down to the Heavy 10 conditions. None of those starts were beyond 1200m.

“Everyone always wants to string their horse out to go further all the time but sometimes they are just better staying where they are. His Golden Rose run is vital to see which road we take,” added Snowden.

Pariah will be joined in the race by Taking Aim who was last seen when running third in the Group One JJ Atkins Stakes at Doomben, despite racing wide without cover.

“He has really changed as a horse. He has grown up and it might be the making off him but he is going to get better as the races get longer,” said Snowden.

“It’s a good starting point for him and his card will be marked as to whether we stay in Sydney or go down to Melbourne a little bit earlier with him.”

Meanwhile, Assimilate has already been backed from $8 into $6 with TAB Fixed Odds in the $150,000 Group Three Ming Dynasty Quality (1400m) and it’s easy to see why on the strength of his form around Dracarys.

“He has got a very short attention span but the more we started to work him along he has shown glimpses of going the right away,” Snowden said.

“We have seen a bit better performance from week-to-week and that’s the way you want to see them going. He has always had a talent and it’s just about slowly brining that out of him.

“I dare say it is coming a lot quicker than I first thought. I thought he’d be one or two runs and then be going to the paddock. For him to still be in and get to a level that he is in on Saturday is suggestive of the horse’s ability.”

Hypnotist may not have the profile of Assimilate but after three wins to kick off his career and armed with a fierce will to win, the Snitzel colt deserves his shot at this level.

“He has been a slow maturer but he’s an underrated horse coming through the ranks and doing everything right,” Snowden said.

Check out the replays, form and fields for Rosehill Gardens on Saturday