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Snowden pair to stake Diamond claims

Friday 10 February 2012
Robert Windmill

Peter Snowden expects his Prelude runners Rusambo and Applegate to show they are genuine Blue Diamond contenders when they resume at Caulfield.

Rusambo is a firming favourite from $3.80 to $2.70 for Saturday's colts and geldings Prelude while TAB Sportsbet has eased Applegate from $5 to $6.50 for the fillies division.

Kerrin McEvoy, who won last year's Blue Diamond for the stable on Preview and Prelude winner Sepoy, will ride both stablemates who are among the top six lines in betting for Victoria's $1 million juvenile race on February 25.

With an off-the-speed racing style, Rusambo appeals to Snowden as a Blue Diamond prospect but he wants to see him show he has made sufficient progression from the spring.

Rusambo was an eye-catching third on debut in the Breeders Plate at Randwick on October 1 and did his best work over the last 200 metres when second to Amorino in the City Tattersalls Plate two weeks later.

"Both his runs he got back and worked home strongly late and for the Diamond it is the sort of pattern you would want as it is a helter-skelter sort of race," Snowden said.

Snowden said Rusambo's autumn campaign had been focused on Melbourne where he has done a lot of work and trialled well.

A son of Elusive Quality he has the same sire as Sepoy, adding to Snowden's hopes.

"He has got to run well tomorrow to be competitive in the Diamond but he has done well and strengthened up," Snowden said.

Applegate has been on a Diamond path since she dashed home impressively to score in a photo-finish in the Emirates Airline Plate against 15 others at Flemington on November 1.

Snowden expects Applegate to be near the pace on Saturday despite an awkward draw in barrier nine which concerns him.

"It's important that she does run well tomorrow but I feel the fillies race is a much harder race than the colts," Snowden said.

"She is probably best ridden on the speed and she is quite tough."

Applegate is $10 for the Blue Diamond while Rusambo is $16.

Mick Price-trained stablemates Malasun and Samaready, who are both in the fillies Prelude, head the Blue Diamond market at $7 and $7.50 respectively.

Formidable is a chance for a late entry into the Blue Diamond if she can back up from her gallant second last week at Caulfield.

The Ellerton-Zahra stable is confident the seven-day turnaround won't be a problem.

"We wouldn't be running her if we thought it was," Zahra said.

"No-one is talking about her but she's right in the race tomorrow."