Ruler gets measure of other way
RACING the Melbourne way won’t be an excuse if outstanding four-year-old Wild Ruler is beaten in Friday night’s Group 1 Moir Stakes at The Valley.
The Peter and Paul Snowdentrained Wild Ruler had his first look at The Valley in a gallop on Monday morning with Moir Stakes jockey Daniel Moor in the saddle.
Wild Ruler clocked 24.71 seconds for the last 400m of his gallop.
But Paul Snowden said the clock did not matter on Monday.
“He wasn’t out to break records or anything like that. He was just there to have a look around like a lot of others,” Snowden said.
“How he gets around in the gallop was irrelevant because they all work around the outside fence.
“It’s more just for him to see how the course is and the facility itself for when he’s there on Friday night.”
Wild Ruler has raced once in Melbourne but that was down the Flemington straight when the stallion ran third in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes last spring.
Snowden said the dual Group 2 winner has had plenty of practice working left-handed.
“He’s had three pieces of work galloping the Melbourne way up here before he went down,” Snowden said.
“So that’s about the fourth time he’s galloped in that direction, but he’s also been galloping that way before his Coolmore run. So he’s definitely not going in there blind, he’s had enough education.”
Wild Ruler chased home star sprinter Nature Strip when resuming in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m) in Sydney on September 4 and Snowden said he would be fitter for that outing.
“He’s pretty well where he needs to be,” Snowden said. “He wasn’t screwed down (in the Concorde) because he had one trial leading into it.
“He’s probably the one with the most upside to come out of that race.”
TAB has Wild Ruler at $8 in its all-in market on the Moir Stakes.
Snowden said the stallion was a great chance of notching his maiden Group 1 win in the $1m race.
“It’s his time to shine, especially if he can draw a gate and get drier conditions,” he said. “I’ve got no doubt he’s right in the mix.”