It’s reasonable to assume trainers Peter and Paul Snowden will not know which way to look when they watch the eighth race at Canterbury on Saturday.

The TAB.com.au Handicap (1200m) is a better than average BM78 event thanks to the presence of three talented Snowden-trained runners.

High class three-year-olds Niccolance and Mediterranean and the 4YO Choice We Had are all heading for the rich Magic Millions race day at the Gold Coast on January 14.

Niccolance and Mediterranean are set for the $2 million Magic Millions Guineas (1400m) while Choice We Had is entered for the $1 million Magic Millions Cup (1400m).

Saturday’s race is their stepping stone to the Gold Coast and it is not beyond the realms that the Snowdens could see their trio fighting out the finish.

That would be a most satisfying result for the father and son team as they are confident they have the trio in the right form to advance their Magic Millions claims even though all three have had extended breaks since they last raced.

Most interest centres on Mediterranean as he will be having his first start as a gelding, having undergone the surgery after he raced in the G2 Stan Fox Stakes at Rosehill on September 24.

The Snowdens are hoping the operation will be the key to Mediterranean realising the potential that has been obvious in the Smart Missile three-year-old since he first appeared in trials last season.

His early trials tabbed him as a Golden Slipper Stakes prospect but he failed to qualify after finishing unplaced in his first two starts in the Skyline Stakes and Pago Pago Stakes.

More winning trials followed before he won his maiden at Canterbury last July that set him on an ambitious spring program that started well when he finished second to Thronum in the Listed Rosebud (1200m) at Randwick in August.

However Mediterranean came up short when he took on top three-year-old company at his next three starts in the G2 Run To The Rose (5th), G1 Golden Rose (6th) and G2 Stan Fox Stakes (5th).

The Snowdens decided the precocious colt needed gelding during his spell and a super trial win over 1050m at Randwick on December 13 has him primed to make a strong return on Saturday on a track where he boasts his only win.

Niccolance has superior form to Mediterranean to this point of time, having won two of his seven starts at Rosehill and Randwick at the start of the spring after his two-year-old form included second placings behind top colts Capitalist and Astern and a fourth the Magic Millions 2YO Classic at the Gold Coast.

He hasn’t raced since he failed as favourite in the Listed Hilton Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on November 5 but had excuses that day after he was trapped wide from a difficult barrier.

He hasn’t had a recent trial – a rare prep for a Snowden-trained horse – as the stable believes a fresh race will serve him better heading to the Gold Coast.

Choice We Had is also coming off a break of six weeks without a trial but he is a good fresh horse as he showed at his last start on November 19 when he won over 1400m at Rosehill at his first outing for four weeks to end a sequence of four minor placings.