Aichi lands Group Three Danehill Stakes

Peter Snowden trained his first Melbourne stakes winner for Sheikh Mohammed's Darley when Aichi landed Saturday's Group Three Danehill Stakes at Flemington.

The Strategic gelding scored by a nose from the Sheikh's other runner in the race, Time Thief trained by Lee Freedman, while the David Hayes-trained Nicconi was a luckless 2-1/2 lengths away third.

Time Thief's rider Dwayne Dunn considered firing in a protest against Aichi but after he and Freedman looked at the stewards' patrol film he decided against an objection.

Snowden said Aichi was on borrowed time this campaign and that it was only after a track gallop in Sydney last Tuesday that he decided to bring him down for the Danehill.

"His last run was excellent but I thought it might have been his grand final," Snowden said, referring to Aichi's photo-finish second to Dreamscape in the Group Three Up And Coming Stakes (1200m) at Warwick Farm two weeks ago.

"He did so well since that run we put him in the Danehill and his work on Tuesday was super."

Aichi is no stranger to Melbourne as he did a lot of his early education at Snowden's Flemington stables and won his race debut at Cranbourne on June 22.

"He did his early grounding here so it was nothing new for him to come back and slot in," Snowden said.

Michael Rodd won on Aichi at Cranbourne and was on him again on Saturday, rating him well near the pace all the way.

"He's a horse who has improved a lot," Rodd said.

In Sydney Aichi raced three times for a win at Canterbury and two seconds.

"He's done a great job and now he has proved he is a Group performer and carnival horse," Snowden said.

He said it was hard to spell a horse racing so well but hinted that the Ascot Vale Stakes at Flemington on Derby Day over the same course as the Danehill (1200m) could be an ideal target.

"I will just do my maths and see how long he's going to be out in the paddock, but there is one more race we could look at the end of the carnival," Snowden said.

Lee Freedman said Time Thief, who won his race debut at Moonee Valley 10 days ago, could also target the Ascot Vale Stakes instead of the Caulfield Guineas.

"He got held up today and just got clear three strides too late," Freedman said.

"He did finish the straight six off very strongly which encourages me.

"We could keep him fresh for the Ascot Vale or go to seven furlongs (1400m) and see how he goes there."

Craig Williams had no luck on Nicconi who like Time Thief didn't get clear until the last 200 metres.