Xidaki headline act for Snowden in the 2025 Festival Stakes

Xidaki’s quiet autumn and winter performances left Peter Snowden searching for answers, but the respected trainer says the gelding has finally bounced back to his best.

The Group 3 Winx Guineas (1600m) winner showed his quality last season with placings in the Silver Eagle (1300m) and Festival Stakes (1500m), as well as a solid midfield effort in The Ingham (1600m).

But when he returned during the latter stages of the Sydney autumn earlier this year, he never looked comfortable in four runs, prompting Snowden to end his preparation early.

“Last prep wasn’t him at all, so I only gave him a few runs and stopped,” Snowden said.

“I brought him back in, that was his first run the other day and that was much more like him.”

His fresh run was encouraging—a fast-finishing third behind Brave One on The Hunter undercard at Newcastle, where interference late may have cost him second.

Xidaki now steps up to 1500 metres in Saturday’s Festival Stakes (1500m), drawing perfectly in barrier four. Snowden believes he is well placed to run a big race again.

“His first-up run at Newcastle was great. He ran third and got blocked for a run with ten metres to go and he might have even run second,” he said.

“He hit the line very strongly over 1300 so the 1500 shouldn’t be an issue.

“He’s got a great barrier. No weight on his back. He’s got a good rider (Rachel King). He will be competitive.”

Stablemate Touristic also fronts up after being balloted out of The Gong (1600m) at Kembla Grange. Snowden expects him to improve deeper into the prep as he rises in distance.

A full field of 20—including last year’s runner-up Robusto—has accepted for the Festival Stakes, an important pathway to The Ingham (1600m) next month.

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