Peter Snowden might be taking a couple of maiden two-year-olds to the races on Saturday but there is every chance he could come away with a Blue Diamond and a pair of Golden Slipper contenders. Pride Of Dubai has arrived safely in Melbourne for the Blue Diamond, where he is a second pick in betting behind the unbeaten filly Fontiton. "She has been the benchmark right the way through," Snowden said. "But Pride Of Dubai has just kept improving, that trip down there [for the Prelude] really helped him and I thought the run was very good." Pride Of Dubai just failed to gun down Of The Brave in the Prelude. "He is the type of horse that is going to enjoy the pressure of a group 1 and we were very happy with his work on Tuesday," Snowden said. Wolf Cry is another juvenile that is yet to win but has logged Breeders Plate and Lonhro Plate placings. He steps out in a trip that is more to his liking in the Skyline Stakes. "He got home late in both his runs and the 1200 metres will certainly be to his advantage. We have always thought that 1200 and beyond would be his best trip. This is a nice race for him."
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EXCITEMENT TIME
Red Excitement has won his past five heading into Saturday's Liverpool City Cup but it is a barrier trial since his latest win in the Chester Manifold Stakes which catches the attention. He won by 13-1/4 lengths from He's Your Man, Midsummer Sun and Sweynesse at Rosehill on February 3. "He was a race-fit horse against a couple of horses having soft trials," jockey Brenton Avdulla explained. "We didn't go that quick. He went along but not that fast to win by such a big space." Red Excitement ran 33.88 seconds for the final 600m and built through every section. "It was a good hitout and he is still a little under the radar. He is [in] the right race again on the weekend."
ALLISON'S EMBRACE
Chris Waller has the favourite for the Sweet Embrace Stakes in Always Allison but she will need to win on Saturday and pay $150,000 to run the Golden Slipper. A midweek win saw Always Allison added to Slipper markets but Waller is not pumping up his filly. "She has always shown us a bit but this is still her first preparation. It is about winning on Saturday, not about the next start," Waller said. "The Golden Slipper winner won't have any problem getting into the Golden Slipper, they tend to show themselves well before the race. She will either get there or she won't. There is no pressure on her from us. If she doesn't we are sure she will be a really good three-year-old."
JAPANESE ARRIVE
The Japanese raiders arrived in Sydney on Wednesday and are settling into their new home at Canterbury. To The World, which was named Japan's best three-year-old last year, leads a strong contingent for The Championships which includes, World Ace, Tosen Stardom and Real Impact. They were restricted to walking in the bullring at Canterbury on Thursday but are expected to step on the track by the weekend.
ADELAIDE GALLOP
Sydney punters will get their first live raceday look at Cox Plate winner Adelaide when he has an exhibition gallop with Royal Descent at Warwick Farm on Saturday. Chris Waller has taken over the preparation from Aidan O'Brien, with the target of the Queen Elizabeth Stakes before possibly returning to Europe. Meanwhile Waller has made an investment in Warwick Farm, completing the purchase the Guy Walter's former stables this week. "It is something I'm looking to the future with and I will probably just rent the stables out for now," Waller said.
PROTOCOL PLAN
The Paul Perry stable has the Sydney Cup as a goal for Ghost Protocol because it is a stayer that "needs two miles". "We are keeping him ticking over for that. But he has found a good race over 2400m on Saturday," foreman Shannon Perry said. "Last start he was coming hard at the end and I know sound funny to say it, because he has been up for a long time, but he needed that hitout."
