By Ray Hickson
There’s something about the way champion trainer Peter Snowden talks about Reelem In Ruby that says he’s expecting big things from the mare come 2020.
But he’s also expecting her to take a significant step at her stakes debut in the Group 3 $200,000 ICD Property Nivison (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday and prove she is a horse of the future.
The four-year-old is yet to finish worse than third in her eight starts and has been carefully guided through the grades to meet this assignment.
“We’ve been forced to patient with her because she is a light filly but I really like her,’’ Snowden said.
“Every start she has she has a tremendous attitude to racing, she’s very determined and she will run through a brick wall for you.
“She handles it wet and dry, good luck, bad luck it doesn’t matter she has all the attributes of being a handy filly.
“I keep telling my owners if you’re patient with her at four and five it will be her best time.
“We won’t overtax her this prep, the four races we have planned are solid races and if she could win one or more that’s even better.’’
The first of those four races was her resumption at Randwick three weeks ago where she finished an unlucky second to stablemate Signore Fox.
Punter’s Intelligence sectional data clocked Reelem In Ruby at a race best 11.76 for her last 200m, and she was held up for runs, and while she was beaten it was a run that told Snowden she’s headed the right way.
“She strips much better this week, she still had her coat on but that’s dropped since the last run and she looks ten times better,’’ he said.
“I’m confident she will run a very good race in what is a solid race, I’ve seen harder but there’s enough depth there to say she will want to be going really well to win.’’
All going well the next start in the four-race plan for Reelem In Ruby will be the Group 2 Hot Danish Stakes (1400m) on November 9.
While it’s all upwards for Reelem In Ruby, who was $3.40 favourite with TAB on Friday, the Snowden camp is hoping Moss Trip ($18) can find her best form in the Nivison after a run the stable would like to forget first-up in Melbourne.
Moss Trip hasn’t won since last year’s Inglis Guineas at Scone and has been out of the top three in six starts since she ran third in the Group 2 Dane Ripper in June last year.
“She’s starting to run out of chances, she had a few issues in the Brisbane carnival and we’ve been finding it hard to shake them,’’ Snowden said.
“It was a disaster (first-up), she almost ended up on her nose on the corner, she was badly interfered with and got onto the wrong leg, we learned nothing from that run.
Reelem In Ruby runs second at Randwick on October 5
“She’s as good as I’ve had her but I just want to see a good performance. There should be no excuses and we should see something from her.’’
Meanwhile, Snowden said Napoleon Solo could earn himself a shot at the Group 2 Villiers Stakes later this year if he continues to improve since being gelded.
The four-year-old was placed at Warwick Farm first-up and takes his place in the Daily Press Handicap (1500m) at Randwick where he’s at $9 with TAB.
“He’s always had good ability but towards the end he got very colty and we were trying to make him stay and I don’t think he is that so a mile to 1800m is as far as we will go,’’ he said.
“I would have liked to draw a bit better but he is going particularly well and his work on Tuesday was outstanding. I’m liking what I’m seeing at home, I’d just like to see him do it in his races.’’
All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's meeting at Randwick