Weighty issue for Snitzerland in Galaxy

Sunday 23 March 2014, 4:56pm

Lightning Stakes winner Snitzerland is certain to miss the The Galaxy if trainer Gerald Ryan's worst fears are confirmed and he believes she is unfairly weighted in the $400,000 race.

Snitzerland is among first nominations for the first Group One sprint of the Sydney autumn carnival at Rosehill on Saturday.

But Ryan is adamant he won't accept with the $1.95 million earner if the race is handicapped the same way as in 2013 when she ran second to Bel Sprinter with 53.5kg.

"She was badly weighted last year as a three-year-old filly," Ryan said.

"She's done more since then so what are they going to give her this year?"

Ryan said if the handicappers gave Snitzerland upwards of 57kg, he would save the mare for the $2.5 million TJ Smith Stakes, the feature sprint during The Championships, at Randwick on April 12.

"It depends on the weight she gets compared to the weight the other horses get," he said.

"If she is weighted the way she was as a three-year-old filly she won't be running.

A forecast for rain and the prospect of racing on a heavy track is also against Snitzerland running at Rosehill.

Snitzerland had her first start since her Group One breakthrough in the Lightning Stakes when she ran second to Villa Verde in the Challenge Stakes at Randwick last Saturday week.

She shares the third line of TJ Smith betting at $10 with Newmarket Handicap winner Lankan Rupee the $3.50 favourite.

Villa Verde's trainer Anthony Cummings is also anxiously waiting on the handicapper.

He is expecting the three-year-old to get 53kg but that may rule James McDonald out of the ride.

Cummings came agonisingly close to winning the final Group One race of the Melbourne season when Fontelina was nosed out by Spirit Of Boom in Friday night's William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley.

"That's racing," Cummings said. "We'll move on.

"Villa Verde has come through her last race well and is in good order for the Galaxy."

– AAP

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