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The rare hook up between trainers Peter and Paul Snowden and Queensland jockey Damian Browne at Randwick on Saturday should serve as a positive alert to the chances of classy sprinter Rich Enuff in the $150,000 Liverpool City Cup.
Browne has earned a deserving reputation as one of Australia’s best strike jockeys in feature races, as Peter Snowden well knows.
On the infrequent times Browne has ridden for Snowden – usually in feature races - he has delivered some outstanding results.Since the 2011/12 season Browne has had less than 30 rides on Snowden-trained runners but his results for the stable include two Group One wins and another five black type victories.
BBrowne first teamed with Snowden when the trainer was in charge of the all-conquering Darley stable. Together they won the G3 WJ Healy Stakes at Eagle Farm in 2011 with Pinwheel and two editions of the Listed Silk Stocking at the Gold Coast with Mascareri (2012) and Detours (2013).Those results led to Snowden calling on the former New Zealand jockey to ride his star filly Earthquake in Melbourne in the autumn of 2014.
They were a big hit, Browne riding Earthquake to brilliant wins in the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude and G1 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield.Browne’s occasional links with Snowden have continued since the trainer left Darley to establish his own stable at Randwick in partnership with his son Paul.
Last year the Snowdens called on Browne to ride Pride Of Dubai to victory in the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield and again at the Brisbane winter carnival when he won the G3 Healy Stakes for the stable on Dothraki.Browne is yet to ride a Sydney winner for Snowden but that could change on Saturday when Rich Enuff has his second start for the stable in the G3 Liverpool City Cup (120p0m).
Snowden snapped up Browne’s services for Rich Enuff when he noted that the Brisbane rider was coming to Sydney to ride the classy Queensland mare Tinto in the $175,000 Guy Walter Stakes (1400m).Browne will take over as Rich Enuff’s rider from Kerrin McEvoy, who has preferred to renew his association with the Noel Mayfield-Smith trained sprinter Famous Seamus after riding him in his last start win in the Kevin Heffernan Stakes at Sandown in November.
Rich Enuff, a top grade three-year-old when trained in Melbourne last season, has raced once for the Snowdens for a game third behind Big Money and Decision Time in a three-way finish to the G3 Southern Cross Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on February 13 after being off the scene since October.Snowden was delighted with the effort as he expected Rich Enuff to need that race and says he will strip fitter on Saturday.
“He’s come off that run in very good order and will be an improved horse when he lines up on Saturday,” Snowden said.“It looks a nice race for him and he’s drawn very well in gate two.”
Browne will also ride El Sasso for the Snowdens in the Schweppes BM84 (1200m) on Saturday’s program.Browne will be seeking his third successive win on the Rex Lipp-trained Tinto in the Guy Walter Stakes following victories at her last two starts at the Gold Coast including the $1 million Magic Millions Cup on January 9.
Tinto's $1,448,434 makes her Queensland’s third highest prize money winning female performer and the Queensland Oaks winner can conceivably become the leader if she goes on to win a G1 feature over the Sydney carnival.Her first G1 mission is the Coolmore Classic at Rosehill on March 12 and she then has options during The Championships at Randwick including the Doncaster Mile on April 2 and the Queen Elizabeth Stakes or Queen of the Turf Stakes on April 9.
D J BROWNE