Latest News

By Ray Hickson

With the Golden Slipper ‘curse’ safely off the back, trainer Michael Freedman sees no reason why Marhoona won’t make a statement at Rosehill on Saturday as her spring target looms.

Trainer Michael Freedman

The filly had to shoulder 58kg when she resumed two weeks ago, claiming the Heritage Stakes, and plummets to 54.5kg under the conditions of the Group 2 $300,000 Canadian Club Roman Consul Stakes (1200m).

It’s been 13 years since a filly has won the race, that was Jolie Bay who is the dam of Joliestar, and Freedman said on the back of her first-up win his filly is well suited.

“That was the set up that appealed coming back to the set weights of the Roman Consul,’’ he said.

“It’s a nice second-up option for her and hopefully she can run well, it spaces nicely then potentially to the Coolmore.”

Marhoona, $2 with TAB on Wednesday, won the Heritage first-up since her Slipper victory by just under three-quarters of a length.

Freedman said he was impressed with how she chimed into the event under a hold and looked strong through the line considering the weight she had to carry.

He feels she has taken benefit from that win and is comfortable that jockey Tommy Berry will have plenty of options from barrier four.

“Carrying the 58kg against the boys first-up from a fairly lengthy break it was good to see her come back,’’ he said.

“To see she has the desire to be there and competing. The run has done her some good and she’s perked up since then.

“She certainly doesn’t seem to have gone backwards, whether she has improved is always a bit difficult to assess but she seems in good form.

“She’s had a good couple of weeks so hopefully it augurs well.”

Stablemate Pallaton has had an interesting month since his unplaced effort at Warwick Farm as Freedman sent him to Tamworth trainer Mel O’Gorman for a tree change.

The colt, placed in the Rosebud first-up, won a barrier trial while in the north west and Freedman said it appears the break has served him well but the proof will come in how he measures up in the Roman Consul.

“It was a bit of a mental freshen up, to send him somewhere he hadn’t been before,’’ he said.

“He had three weeks with Mel, she pottered around with him and had that trial after the races. It was really an exercise in changing things up a bit.

“I worked him on Tuesday morning and I was happy with his work.

“We’ve taken the cross nose band off, wondering whether he wasn’t resenting it and we’ll get a much better idea of where we sit with him.”

Godolphin colt Ohope has also lost the cross over nose band from his gear as he steps up in trip in the Listed $500,000 Schweppes Tapp-Craig (1400m).

Ohope had to make a long run when runner-up to Napoleonic over the 1200m at his third run for the Freedman stable.

He’ll wear visors instead which Freedman hopes can help keep his mind on the job.

“He’s looking for the 1400m now, I was very pleased with his effort at Warwick Farm where he settled back and had to loop the field,’’ he said.

Marhoona wins at Rosehill on September 27

“We’ve put a set of visors on to keep him a bit sharper as he tends to lose a bit of focus at times and runs it in patches.”

Michael Freedman on San Giovanni (race 6): “He had the run over the same track and distance against the older horses and I thought he did a good job stepping form the 1400m to the 1800m. He’s back against his own age group, it looks like a nice option for him and will probably answer a few questions for us.”

On Polyglot (race 10): “He’s had four goes for me now and can’t draw single digits. It’s pretty much a carbon copy of his last three runs, if he can get an ounce of luck from the draw and try and find a spot where he’s not too far back I think he can run well. He’s holding good form but he’s had no luck with barriers.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s meeting at Rosehill