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By Ray Hickson

With a pedigree like that which Zarrose boasts it’s no surprise trainer Peter Snowden will set his sights on a stakes race if she can complete a hat-trick at Rosehill on Saturday.

Trainer Peter Snowden (Pic: Steve Hart)

The race that appeals to Snowden is the Group 3 Tibbie Stakes (1400m) at Newcastle next month so there’s a bit riding on how the mare performs in the Merrylands RSL Club Handicap (1500m).

What Snowden has learned about the daughter of Group 1 winners Exosphere and Rewaaya is that she appreciates having her runs spaced and the proof is in the dominance of her second-up win three weeks ago.

“I’m very happy with her, she seems to be reacting to being fresh and keeping her to those 1400m and 1500m races,’’ Snowden said.

“It was a very good win last start and she hasn’t taken a backward step so I’m confident she can run well again.

“She’s always had a great pedigree and you’re waiting for her to hit her straps and be something to look at. I had it in my mind she might get out to 1800m or 2000m but she doesn’t stay.

“By keeping her back to shorter trips and keeping her fresh she’s reacting off that.

“Always her first run was her best run in her prep so that's probably telling us she doesn’t want to go too much further.”

Punter’s Intelligence sectional data from Zarrose’s Randwick win reveal she clocked a slick 33.24 for her last 600m, three lengths faster than anything else, to pick up It’s A Knockout over the 1400m.

Zarrose, who opened $6.50 with TAB on Wednesday, has the outside barrier to contend with at Rosehill but Snowden was unconcerned as it won’t change what she does in the early part of the race.

“She gets back anyway so it wouldn’t matter if she drew one, she couldn’t do much with that,’’ he said.

“We’ll just ride her like we have been and ride her quiet to get home.

“If she runs well I’d be looking to give her a crack at the Tibbie, it works out nicely time wise.”

Snowden is hoping the decision to give lightly raced three-year-old Media World a bit of time pays off when he returns in the Group 3 $250,000 CMNL Up & Coming Stakes (1300m).

The colt was a solid winner of the Clarendon Handicap at the Hawkesbury Cup meeting in early May and based on how he’s presented at home the trainer says he can run a nice race fresh.

“I’ve always liked him, I was thinking abut taking him to Brisbane after that (Hawkesbury) meeting but I thought he was a bit immature and it might be a bit early for him,’’ he said.

“He’s not a big horse but he’s a real athletic horse. He’s clean winded and a good trackworker, he trialled great the other day but he’s meeting some good horses here.

“We’ll know more about him after Saturday. I don’t rule out a mile, so it’ll be interesting to see how he settles in his first couple of starts.”

King Of Roseau has the task of bringing down the boom on Gatsby’s and Storm Boy in the Group 3 $250,000 Smithfield RSL San Domenico Stakes (1100m).

Zarrose wins at Randwick on August 10

He hasn’t raced since finishing second in a $1 million Magic Millions race at Doomben in May and his only unplaced efforts in five starts have been at Group 3 level in the lead up to the Golden Slipper.

“He’s no superstar but is very genuine, he never runs bad,’’ Snowden said.

“From that good draw he’ll make his own luck, he trialled great the other day and his work has been good. There’s improvement to come but he’s going well enough to be competitive.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Rosehill meeting