Denman team not worried about Guineas delay

By Mark Ryan

MELBOURNE, March 11 AAP - The extra week's wait for the running of the Australian Guineas due to the fierce hail storm at Flemington last Saturday hasn't diminished the confidence of the Peter Snowden stable with odds-on favourite Denman.

Snowden's son and Melbourne stable foreman Paul Snowden said the postponement of the Group One 1600m feature just meant a matter of holding the Lonhro colt at where he was last Saturday.

"The horse is in good order, we'll be happy to get there on a good day and I'm sure he'll come through," Snowden said.

"He hasn't had to do a lot more work, we've just had to hold him there. He's fit so we're more than happy with where he's at."

Denman worked on the Viscoride track on Tuesday morning as horses weren't permitted to gallop on the course proper.

The winner of nine of his 11 starts, Denman is $1.65 favourite with TAB Sportsbet, with Linton at $5 and Set For Fame at $5.50 considered the main threats.

"Those two horses are definitely the main dangers but we have to be positive early, get him into a good spot, get him to relax which he continues to do in his work and everything can unfold from there," Snowden said.

Rival trainer Peter Moody also had no issue with the Guineas being delayed for a week for Reset filly Set For Fame apart from a later start to the Sydney autumn carnival for her.

"The only thing is that it's probably cost us the opportunity of running in the Coolmore a week later," he said.

"It was going to be a fortnight last week but she's in great shape. She's as well as she can be so she'll go into the race with absolutely no excuses and only a lack of ability will beat her.

"She's a high-quality filly and I've got no doubt she's a Group One filly.

Moody has a lot of respect for Denman.

"Denman looks the benchmark three-year-old at this point in time, but we're keen enough to have a crack at him and make sure he is the benchmark," he said.

"Hopefully we can come out of it as the benchmark."

One thing in Set For Fame's favour is that she has drawn barrier one, while Denman will jump from the outside gate (eight) with Set For Fame's stablemate Hanks expected to miss the race to start in the Randwick Guineas (1600m) on Saturday.

"We can go forward, she's led all the way and won while some of her best runs have been from the back of the field so the tempo of the race doesn't concern us at all," Moody said.

"Probably the concern would be traffic from barrier one as there are a couple in the race we wouldn't want to be trapped behind and have the likes of Denman and Linton maybe given time to wind up while we're looking for runs.

"That will be up to (Luke) Nolen, he's riding in terrific form and hopefully he can get the job done."

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