The prospect of a moderate tempo in the Civic Stakes has convinced the father-and-son training team of Peter and Paul Snowden to consign Dothraki to Sydney, forgoing a trip to Wednesday's Ramornie Handicap at Grafton.
The Snowdens confirmed late on Friday the Healy Stakes winner – one of three Triple Crown horses to win at group level in their first preparation under the Randwick-based stable – would head to Rosehill where bookmakers are taking no chances with the Civic Stakes favourite.
"I don't really see a lot of tempo there," Paul Snowden said of Dothraki's wide draw with premiership-chasing Blake Shinn on board. "There doesn't seem to be any sort of pressure in the first half of the field and he doesn't have to lead, but he'll roll across with the speed and hopefully it's a carbon copy of the [Healy Stakes on the] Gold Coast."
Dothraki was to be lumped with 59 kilograms alongside defending champion Big Money in the feature bush sprint at Grafton, but will instead give away at least 2.5kg to all of his rivals in the Civic Stakes under 59.5kg.
That doesn't faze the Snowdens, who have already tasted stakes success with Dothraki, Charlie Boy and group 1 winner Hot Snitzel this winter since taking care of the Triple Crown team.
"They're carnival horses – there is no two ways about it – and they're performing," Paul Snowden said. "I thought [Dothraki] was a pretty well-credentialled horse. Usually the more genuine you are and the tougher it is, the more they put their hand up.
"You have to say his record speaks for itself. It's quite a tidy little record and he would have been up in Queensland a little earlier than what he was, but things weren't 100 per cent right. We picked our mark with him and we got away with it the other day."
Confirmation Dothraki would run in the Civic Stakes at least gives the Snowdens one representative in the Rosehill feature after they withdrew Rose Of Choice on Friday due to the prospect of a rain-sodden track. Rosehill was rated a heavy (8) on Friday night.
Dothraki, a four-year-old son of Mossman, has relished the going in the past and the Snowdens are bullish about his chances on any type of footing.
"I think he's as good on both," Paul Snowden said. "Horses that handle the wet are good on the dry, too. It's just they've got another string to their bow.
"There's probably about 10 per cent of horses that actually are wet trackers. A lot of them get through it, but they don't actually handle it. He probably does both.
"This will probably pull him up after his next run. He won't have too long off. He hasn't been hammered by any means this preparation and he'll just have a little freshen up and we'll go again."
Dothraki was a firming $3.10 favourite with Ladbrokes on Friday evening with June Stakes hero Wouldn't It Be Nice a $7.50 second elect.
Last Saturday's restricted race winner Two Blue ($8) – expected to give Dothraki a cart into the race from the wide alley – and See The World ($9) are the only other runners under double-figure odds.
Meanwhile, stewards have advised apprentice Serg Lisnyy will be unfit for his two rides at Rosehill after being struck in the eye by a clod of turf at the Tamworth meeting on Friday.
Lisnyy suffered swelling to his eye and was stood down from the remainder of his rides as he sought treatment at a Tamworth hospital. The apprentice was due to ride Carry On Singing (third race) and Kaypers in the last event at Rosehill.
