Snowden sprinter back from the brink to stake claim at Scone

Hometown champion Peter Snowden expects veteran King Of Sparta to show he still has a “zest for racing” in the Ortensia Stakes at Scone on Saturday when he makes his comeback from serious illness, 18 months after his most recent run.

Snowden, born and raised in Scone, will take a strong team to the annual standalone program from his Randwick stables, and King Of Sparta shapes as his most intriguing runner.

The two-time Magic Millions Snippets winner last raced in the Russell Balding Stakes in November 2024 before a six-month spell, two trials, then another 10 months on the sidelines.

Snowden said a staph infection in a hind leg looked to have ended King Of Sparta’s career, but he has fought back and pleased him in three trials leading into the listed 1100m Ortensia.

He was looking to the group 2 Moreton Cup (1200m) at Eagle Farm on June 6 as a target race for King Of Sparta if, as expected, he ran well on Saturday.

“He had a really bad infection which took a long time to get right, and they thought it wouldn’t get right, but it has,” Snowden said.

“He’s been back in work for a good while. I’ve had him for about four months here and he’s had three trials so he’s quite forward.

“He obviously hasn’t raced for a long while, but he’s a good racehorse and he’ll be competitive.

“He’s still got his zest for racing. His trials have been really sharp so it won’t surprise to see him run well, but no doubt he’ll take good improvement from it.”

King of Sparta, with Chad Schofield to ride, was $19 (TAB) carrying topweight of 61 kilograms from gate 12.

Snowden also has Fire Star ($10) from barrier nine. The five-year-old was third in the Ortensia last year and again has Andrew Adkins aboard. He was fourth in the 1200m JRA Plate in January and has since had a let-up and two trials. He has finished top two four times in five first-up runs and has the Hinkler Handicap and Moreton Cup as potential goals.

“He’s got good fresh form,” Snowden said.

“He’s had a couple of good trials and he’s up to the mark. His work was really good on Tuesday, so he’ll be competitive.”

In the group 3 Dark Jewel Classic, Snowden was confident Tuileries ($10) could bounce back from a second-last finish in the Emancipation Stakes and launch her campaign at the group 1 Tattersall’s Tiara.

He said the latest start, which followed victory in the Newcastle Stakes, was a “total forgive run” after copping interference.

“She’s had a freshen-up, three weeks out, then back in and had a really good trial at Canterbury last Friday week,” he said.

“It told me she’s back on track and her work’s been the same.

“She’s drawn the car park, but there’s good speed around her, which might help her get across. If she has any luck, she’ll be very hard to beat.”

Akaysha ($7.50) and Miss Freelove ($12) give Snowden genuine chances in the listed Denise’s Joy Stakes (1100m) for three-year-old fillies. Akaysha was a last-start winner of the listed Mick Dittman Plate, and Miss Freelove is second-up off a sixth at Warwick Farm. Both are set to run in Queensland stakes races next month.

Already starring in Queensland for Snowden is Beadman ($10), which backs up from his Gold Coast Guineas win in Saturday’s group 1 Doomben 10,000.

“He’s pulled up well,” Snowden said.

“He handles wet ground, so it shouldn’t worry him. It’s a very hard race, but he’s going well.”