Trainer Matt Dunn hoping to build on Sydney success as emerging sprinter Snitz banking on Classique Legend form in Starlight Stakes

It will keep changing if lightly raced sprinter Snitz can return a winner in the listed Starlight Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday in the first of potentially three runs this campaign.

Dunn only has to have a cursory glance at the form card of Snitz to realise the potential of his six-year-old, which was beaten less than a length by subsequent The Everest winner Classique Legend in the Bob Charley Stakes in June.

Snitz was a betting drifter when beaten in Grafton’s Ramornie Handicap at his next start but later spiked a temperature.

‘It was pretty tough chasing home the best sprinter in the world the start before which took the edge off him a bit.’

Matt Dunn

“The idea was to run him in that and see where he ended up, but we probably went one too many,” Dunn said. “There was nothing wrong with him going in, but in hindsight he was probably spent by then. It was pretty tough chasing home the best sprinter in the world the start, before which took the edge off him a bit.

“It took us a little while to work out how to ride him. He’s just a speed horse. You’ve got to let him use it. We used to try to hold him up and do all these other things early in his career.

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“[His improvement] is also a result of us looking after him a bit. He’s never really had long preps. We’ve stopped him after three or four runs usually. He’ll probably only have three or four runs in the summer sprint series in Sydney.

“His trial was good, and he’s probably in as good a shape as last prep going into this. Nash [Rawiller] rode him in his trials and early races last prep, and he thinks he’s going as good as what he was then. He should turn up in good shape.”

Snitz ($4.80) was jostling for favouritism with Godolphin short-courser Varda ($4.80) with Sportsbet on Thursday in a Starlight Stakes headed by former group 1 placegetters Viridine ($10) and Easy Eddie ($41).

Dunn will also saddle up bombproof fresh filly Lady Banff in a benchmark 78 race for her first run since being severely checked in the same race that was marred by a shocking fall to jockey Andrew Adkins.

“I’ve left a bit in her,” Dunn said. “She’s fit enough, but she’s not wound up. My hope is she can go through to the Magic Millions three-year-old race, or she’s even eligible for the QTIS race that day. We’ve got to make sure there’s a little bit there so she’s on top of her game that day.”