The Villiers Stakes is looming as a summer target for Slick Sniper with trainer Tracey Bartley more than happy with his recent progress.A full-brother to Group One winner Sniper's Bullet, Slick Sniper has won his past three starts and claimed his first metropolitan victory at Warwick Farm last week.The four-year-old is entered for a 1400 metre race at Randwick on Saturday which could be the stepping stone to the Group Two Villiers (1600m) on December 20.Sniper's Bullet, an unlucky second in Satu

The Villiers Stakes is looming as a summer target for Slick Sniper with trainer Tracey Bartley more than happy with his recent progress.

A full-brother to Group One winner Sniper's Bullet, Slick Sniper has won his past three starts and claimed his first metropolitan victory at Warwick Farm last week.

The four-year-old is entered for a 1400 metre race at Randwick on Saturday which could be the stepping stone to the Group Two Villiers (1600m) on December 20.

Sniper's Bullet, an unlucky second in Saturday's Railway Stakes in Perth, put his form on the board early in his career, winning twice as a two-year-old and claiming the Stradbroke Handicap at three.

Slick Sniper has taken a bit longer but his trainer believes he is now ready to take the next step.

"Compared to Sniper's Bullet he is a dumb horse," Bartley said.

"But the penny seems to have dropped now.

"He is a talented horse and I think eventually we will be able to get him up over 2000 metres and see how good he is.

"The Villiers is a race we are looking at and I will discuss the program with the owners over the next day or so.

"I'm not sure if he's up to it yet but it is a possibility if he continues to improve."

Slick Sniper was one of 21 entries for the two-metropolitan win race on Saturday, including the in-form My Sweet Cookie and last-start Saturday winner Jedburgh.

Bartley is due home in Mudgee on Tuesday after a long interstate campaign with Sniper's Bullet who raced in Melbourne before heading to Perth where he will line up again in the $500,000 Kingston Town Classic (1800m) on December 6.

Far from licking his wounds over the one that got away in the Railway Stakes, Bartley is upbeat about Sniper's Bullet ahead of his next Group One assignment.

"He licked the bin out after the race and was bucking and playing," Bartley said.

"He's only gone three-quarter pace until the last furlong and a half (300 metres) and didn't have a hard run.

"The way he finished the race off suggests the 1800 metres will suit.

"Perhaps Michael (Rodd) should have taken him to the inside earlier but I'm not too critical of the ride.

"The way to ride him is up on the speed and we will be able to do that again in the Kingston Town, hopefully with a better result."

The Randwick meeting will be run on the Kensington track with impressive debut winner Turf Express among the 11 entries for the two-year-old handicap over 1150 metres.