Darley Crown Stakes preview

Peter Snowden takes four runners into the Saturday’s Darley Crown Stakes at Hawkesbury, as he looks to win this race for the fourth time in five years. He won it with Serenissima in 2010, Kanzan in 2011 and with Aerobatics last year who backs up again this year.

Seaside and Pleiades are both first-up from a spell for Snowden with stable jockey Kerrin McEvoy, taking the ride on the latter. Seaside is $8 in the TAB Fixed Odds market, Pleiades is $11 with Aerobatics and Cameo – Snowden’s fourth runner – both at $21.

Cosmic Endeavour is the current favourite for the $150,000 Group Three event and she is one of two runners for Gai Waterhouse. She’s won twice this preparation, the most recent a G2 Sapphire stakes victory. Miss Stellabelle is back with Waterhouse after two runs down in Tasmania this campaign – for two seconds – and she goes into this after a sixth behind Catkins in the Wiggle Quality two months back.

Plucky Belle has been good in her two runs this campaign and she’ll be looking for a bit of luck on Saturday. First-up she was a good thing beaten behind Avoid Lightning after being tightened for room in the straight, while last start she missed the start and ran on for a fourth behind Cosmic Endeavour.

Lilliburleo was a strong winner first-up from a break and the drier the better for her, while The Messina Nymph gets a run as first emergency after the scratching of La Pieta. The three-year-old filly has won twice in her four career starts, with two minor placings but she takes a big step up in grade – her most recent win being at Wyong in a Fillies and Mares Class One.

It will be interesting to see if the second emergency gets a run. Commanding Wit is trained by Paul Snowden as he waits for his father to join him in their new training venture, and maybe Snowden senior won’t be so disappointed if he is upstaged by his son.