Peter Snowden is unlikely to get the chance to build on his impressive Spring Champion Stakes record after declaring Proverb likely to miss the race despite his victory at Rosehill on Saturday.

Proverb ($1.65 fav) got the job done in the Listed Dulcify Quality (1900m), defeating Indianapolis ($4) by a short-half head.

But Snowden wanted to see a more dominant performance from the colt to continue on to next week's Group One 2000m feature.

Proverb's narrow victory moved him to the third line of betting for the Group One Spring Champion at $11 with TAB fixed odds.

The Gai Waterhouse-trained Proisir is the $1.80 favourite.

Snowden has won the Spring Champion with Sousa (2008) and Erewhon (2010).

"I don't think I'll have a runner (in the Spring Champion)," Snowden said.

"That's just my opinion right now but I'll still have to speak to the team tomorrow or on Monday.

"Just the way the race was run today he should have won by further for mine if he was going to be a contender in a staying-type race.

"He should have sprinted a bit better than what he did. No matter what race you run in, you've got to have a turn of foot and today over that trip and ridden that way (in the box seat), he just didn't dash."

Snowden believes Proverb might be better suited kept to 1600m and ridden quietly.

With that in mind, he pinpointed the Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) at Flemington and Group Two Sandown Guineas (1600m) as potential spring targets.

Proverb settled behind the speed in the Dulcify before Kerrin McEvoy angled his way into the clear turning for home.

He fought out the finish with Indianapolis with the David Payne-trained Laser Flash ($10) another 1-3/4-lengths away third.