Snowden’s Tour heads south for Coongy Cup

Trainers can often wonder in hindsight whether they pulled the right rein, but Peter Snowden is comfortable with the call he made on Touristic.

The import will run in Wednesday’s $200,000 Group 3 Coongy Cup (2000m) at Caulfield, which Snowden elected in preference to last Friday’s Port Macquarie Cup (2000m).

The backmarker will carry 54.5kg at Caulfield, opposed to 62kg at Port Macquarie, and while that race was won by topweight Redstone Well, Snowden questioned how Touristic would have gone.

“We had the option of running at Port Macquarie but I just thought that 62 kilos looked a bit tough on a track that played a fair bit on-speed at its last meeting, as was the case (on Friday) as well,” Snowden said.

“So rather than go up there and flatten him, once he galloped quite well I thought (we’d go to) the Coongy.

“He’s better-weighted there and 2000 metres with 54 on his back is better than 2000 metres with 62 on his back.”

Five of Touristic’s seven runs in 2024 have been in Cup races, the most recent being when second-last of seven in the Group 3 Newcastle Cup (2300m) won by Etna Rosso.

He was second in each of the Group 3 Premier’s Cup (2000m), Listed Grafton Cup (2350m) and Listed McKell Cup (2000m) at his previous three runs, which followed victory over 2000m at Mornington in June.

“He’s only had the one bad run and that was a bit of pilot error there at Newcastle the other day, but his 4 or 5 runs before that have all been consistent; they’ve been seconds in good-class races against good company,” Snowden said.

“I was disappointing with his Newcastle run, but he’s bounced back and his work’s been really good.

“It’s a perfect race for him. It just fits in perfectly.”

Michael Dee will take the Coongy Cup ride on Touristic, who is a $6 chance after drawing barrier seven of nine.