Snitzerland's options open up

Sunday 16 February 2014, 5:24pm

Snitzerland's break-through Group One win in the Lightning Stakes has opened up many options but closed a few others.

For the time being, her trainer Gerald Ryan is happy to savour the moment of a win that means a bit more than most.

Ryan trained the mare's sire Snitzel to win the 2006 Oakleigh Plate and has an affinity with his progeny.

He watched Saturday's Flemington feature from Rosehill alongside Snitzel's former owner Damion Flower.

"It means a lot because without Damion I wouldn't have had Snitzel," Ryan said.

"I knew I had her right for the race. Brenton (Avdulla) and I talked about how he would ride her and it all just worked out."

Ryan said he would discuss the next step with Snitzerland's owners Steve McCann and Neil Werrett his week.

"She would get too much weight in the Newmarket now," he said.

"My immediate reaction is to bring her home to Sydney and run in the Challenge Stakes and then perhaps go on to the TJ Smith.

"I know there has been talk of Royal Ascot but she would have to win a 1200 metre race and win it well to go there and be competitive over 1000 metres in the King's Stand.

"I've always wanted to take a horse to America and run in some of the turf sprints over there.

"I think she is the right type of horse but that's not something we've discussed yet."

Although Flower is not in the ownership of Snitzerland, he is a partner with Werrett, David Raphael, Muzaffar Yaseen and Coolmore Stud in Rubick, second favourite for Saturday's Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield.

Snitzerland, who showed her potential when she ran second to Pierro in the 2012 Golden Slipper, had her spring interrupted with a respiratory problem after her Moir Stakes failure.

She came back at the end of the carnival to run a close second at Flemington to Lankan Rupee, the nominal favourite for Saturday's Oakleigh Plate.

"If she hadn't come back in that race at Flemington we may have lost her to stud," Ryan said.

"That race showed she had recovered and I'm so glad she has now got the Group One."

– AAP

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