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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Peter Snowden believes “Slipper speed” is going to suit Quietly Arrogant as his unheralded colt attempts to give him a third win in the Group 1 $5 million TAB Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

Trainer Peter Snowden (Pic: Steve Hart)

The two-year-old, by Snowden’s 2016 Slipper winner Capitalist, was a $26 chance after drawing what Snowden feels is an ideal barrier in seven and he can’t believe the horse is being overlooked.

Especially given what’s happened in the few weeks since he ran an unlucky third behind Rivellino and Skyhook in the Skyline Stakes.

“It was a really slowly run race early, he got shuffled back, and JMac gave me a really good report when he came back,’’ Snowden said.

“He said he was desperately unlucky and couldn’t sprint quick enough when the run did come.

“It was the same race Gerald Ryan’s horse (Skyhook) got into the same scrimmage and he’s come out and won last Saturday by four.

“It certainly gave us some confidence. It’s a very even year, luck will play a big part and moreso this year than in previous years.”

Quietly Arrogant won at the Sunshine Coast in early January then finished midfield in the Magic Millions and Snowden took the gamble of not running again after the Skyline to give the horse the best build up possible.

Snowden, who also won the Slipper in 2011 with Sepoy, said it was important Quietly Arrogant drew around the middle as his strength is in his finish but with one catch.

“He has a really good turn of foot, the only thing he can’t do is sprint quick,’’ he said.

“If he does get held up and a split comes for a second he can’t take it quick enough so we’ll be thinking about getting him out as soon as we can in the straight and giving him a clear passage.

“There looks to be good speed in the race and it’ll work in his favour.

“Not running last week is a bonus, it would have been really testing and to back up was a bit of an ask.”

Three-time Slipper winning jockey Tommy Berry has his first race ride on Quietly Arrogant in the feature and he’s been bullish about how well the colt is going at home.

Snowden said he expressed those sentiments following his work on Tuesday.

“He had a really good piece of work and Tommy Berry rode him, his exact words were 'he just needs a barrier',’’ he said.

“I’m really happy with his work and seven gives Tommy options, if we drew too wide you’ve got to go back.

“If you drew too far in you’ve got to try and hold a spot but Tommy can be midfield and where he wants to be. Things are so far panning out quite well.”

Snowden has Fearless on the comeback trail in the Listed $250,000 Darby Munro Stakes (1200m) alongside a stakeswinning filly in Drifting that has him puzzled.

Fearless ran third in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes last year behind Broadsiding and Linebacker but his spring was cut short after he failed in the Golden Rose.

“He had a long time off after a bleed at his last start. Both his trials have been very good and he’s not without a hope in that race,’’ Snowden said.

“He’s really grown into a fully furnished horse now, he’s a powerful brute.”

Drifting, who won the Group 3 Quezette Stakes in the spring, has beaten just one horse home in her two starts this campaign and really let Snowden down when she finished last in the Fireball at Randwick two weeks ago.

He said she’s flying on the training track and hopes a tongue tie will turn things around.

Quietly Arrogant runs third at Randwick on March 1

“She’s a headscratcher, I can’t put my finger on what’s wrong with her,’’ he said.

“She’s one of those fillies that sucks her tongue back a bit, even though she doesn’t make a noise it might be affecting what she’s doing at the end of her races.

“Her work was the best of the morning and I just don’t know why she’s not doing it on race day.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Golden Slipper at Rosehill