Peter Snowden rates Friday night's Canterbury Classic field as the best he's seen for this time of year despite the scratching of star Queensland speedster Burdekin Blues.Sydney's reigning premier trainer will start Ramornie Handicap winner Pinwheel in the Listed 1100m sprint against the likes of Whitefriars, Border Rebel, Winter King, Graceful Anna and Keen Commander.Snowden said you could have five picks and still miss the winner, such is the depth of the night racing feature."That's a hot rac

Peter Snowden rates Friday night's Canterbury Classic field as the best he's seen for this time of year despite the scratching of star Queensland speedster Burdekin Blues.

Sydney's reigning premier trainer will start Ramornie Handicap winner Pinwheel in the Listed 1100m sprint against the likes of Whitefriars, Border Rebel, Winter King, Graceful Anna and Keen Commander.

Snowden said you could have five picks and still miss the winner, such is the depth of the night racing feature.

"That's a hot race, the best I've seen for this early in the season," Snowden said.

"It's the best you'll get considering we're probably four or five weeks from the carnival horses being around so it's a class field."

Darley's head trainer believes Pinwheel will need some luck from his barrier after coming up with gate 10 in the field of 12.

He will come into nine after Burdekin Blues was ruled out on Thursday due to the difficulties getting from Brisbane to Sydney because of the flooding.

"He needed to draw a bit better to be a good chance, now he just needs some luck," Snowden said.

"There's a lot of speed in the race but we just need something to happen for us to get in and get a bit of cover because you could pick five there and still miss the winner.

"It's a very, very open race."

Pinwheel started the $2.50 favourite in the same race last year when finishing second to News Alert.

This year the five-year-old is rated a $7 chance in his first appearance since his 1-3/4-length fifth to Hot Danish in the Group Two The Shorts (1200m) on October 2.

Pinwheel's lone stakes win came in the Listed Ramornie Handicap (1200m) in July but he has also been runner-up in stakes company three times, including the Group Three Healy Stakes (1200m) and Listed Show County Quality (1200m).

Snowden said the consistent sprinter was fresh for his Canterbury Classic assignment and had been given an unofficial trial at Darley's new private trainingcomplex at Agnes Banks on Sydney's outskirts ahead of the race.

Burdekin Blues, meanwhile, is now likely to come to Sydney for the Group Two Expressway Stakes (1200m) on February 5, a race he won two years ago.

Following Burdekin Blues' withdrawal, Starlight Stakes winner Winter King has firmed from $4 to $3.40 favouritism.

Salinger Stakes winner Whitefriars is next at $4 followed by country sprint star Border Rebel ($4.60) and comeback mare Graceful Anna ($6).

Graceful Anna, winner of the $1 million Magic Millions 3YO Trophy on the corresponding weekend last year, hasn't raced since injuring herself in the Group One Stradbroke Handicap in June.