Lightly
raced Fastnet Rock colt Holy Snow will be out to make up for lost time in the
Group I VRC Australian Guineas after his dynamic last to first win in the Group
II MRC Autumn Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.
His trainer Mick Price said Holy Snow did plenty wrong as a spring
three-year-old, which led to delays getting him qualified to race, but the
Yulong Investments owned colt showed his potential with a placing in the Group
II MVRC Bill Stutt Stakes (1600m).
"The thing about last prep, was that it was pretty messy because we spent maybe
a month or so more than we needed to try and get his barrier certificate,"
Price said.
"He was a colt that used to fight and fight and fight and not do the right
thing and it sort of wears your horse out.
"He was good in the Bill Stutt and the Caulfield Guineas caught him pretty
trained off."
Holy Snow headed out for a spell after the Caulfield Guineas but finished hard
from last on the home turn at his return to racing, swamping the leaders late under
the riding of Mick Dee to score by 1 ¼ lengths in the 1400 metre contest after
firming from $21 to $16.
Price said he has geared Holy Snow's preparation towards a second-up run in the
Group I Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 3.
"What you saw is some sort of Australian Guineas formguide there and hopefully
he can do that at the big Flemington track," Price said.
"We've done our work for straight in – second up at a mile at Flemington and
that will be us."
A $260,000 Inglis Premier purchase from the Canning Downs draft for Yu Long
Investments, Holy Snow is the seventh winner and first Black type winner from
Group II winning End Sweep (USA) mare Only Words.
Holy Snow has won two of six starts and over $150,000 in prizemoney and is the
129th stakes-winner for champion sire Fastnet Rock.