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By Ray Hickson

The boom on youngster King’s Gambit took a hit with a first-up defeat but co-trainer Peter Snowden is confident the colt can get his Golden Slipper prospects back on track at Rosehill on Saturday.

Trainer Peter Snowden (Pic: Steve Hart)

A second placing at the beginning of a Slipper campaign is hardly a failure but King’s Gambit did start $1.28 on the back of a dashing debut win yet was unable to run down Red Resistance when they met in the Canonbury Stakes three weeks ago.

Snowden said that run will do the colt a world of good when he steps out in the Group 2 $250,000 Fujitsu General Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m).

“I thought his run was fine. There’s a few factors,’’ Snowden said.

“He’d only had one soft trial going into it, the winner had two trials and a run. It was very hot on the day and he really did feel the heat.

“It affected his performance to a degree but he still did some good things. He wasn’t beaten far, he was good late and ran the fastest last 600m of the race.

“It wasn’t all negative. I know he was $1.28 but just opinion did that.”

King’s Gambit, $2.60 with TAB on Thursday, clocked 33.32 (Punter's Intelligence) for his last 600m in the Canonbury but the winner Red Resistance led and ran almost an identical final 600m so it was impossible for the Snowden colt to run him down.

While warm conditions are forecast for Saturday, Snowden said the colt should be in a better place to handle it with the benefit of fitness.

“He’s not a nervous horse, he’s just a high energy horse. He just couldn’t cool down and it made it difficult to put in his best performance,’’ he said.

“He has the benefit of that run, more work under his belt, and he will strip a lot fitter on Saturday.”

Interestingly, the Snowdens are yet to win a Silver Slipper but when it comes to the $5 million Longines Golden Slipper they have a reputation for getting it right as evidenced by their last Slipper winner Capitalist in 2016.

Snowden said the Slipper picture for 2023 is far from complete. King’s Gambit is on the $11 line in Slipper betting behind three unbeaten youngsters in Learning To Fly, Skirt The Law and Barber.

“It’s still very open, the better ones are starting to step out now so the next two or three weeks we’ll have a bit better opinion,’’ he said.

“It’s too early to hone in on one and at this stage it’s a very open race.”

Farnan (2020) is the last Silver Slipper winner to progress to Golden Slipper glory.

The Snowdens unveil a couple of talented fillies in the Quayclean Handicap (1400m) with stakes placed Tajneed and last start Group 3 Spring Stakes winner Pierossa kicking off their autumn.

Tajneed was an impressive debut winner before fnishing third in the Group 2 Edward Manifold at Flemington in October but her shot at a Group 1 was foiled by a heavy track.

“She’s a nice filly and a good sort too. She did a great job in her first preparation,’’ Snowden said.

“Unfortunately she’s no good at all in wet ground, in the Thousand Guineas it was a bottomless track. She travelled strongly until they turned for home then she was just gone.

King's Gambit runs second at Rosehill on January 28

“It’s a starting point for her but I believe she will get to a good level.”

Pierossa is on a path to the Group 1 $1m Star Australian Oaks (2400m) so Snowden said there’ll be no waiting for another day due to a wide barrier.

The filly came a long way in a short time winning a maiden at Gosford two weeks before taking out the Group 3 Spring Stakes (1600m) at Newcastle.

“She needs to go around if we are going to get to an Oaks trip,’’ he said.

“No matter where she drew she was always going to be running. She’ll go back and look to run on.”

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