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By Ray Hickson

A decision to favour a rain affected Hawkesbury over a much firmer Wagga could prove to be a blessing in disguise for Richard and Will Freedman’s promising recruit Celui.

Trainer Will Freedman

Will Freedman said there was a temptation to run in the Town Plate down south but he ultimately felt the gelding may be better placed at a tough 1100m in the Listed $200,000 Hawkesbury XXXX Gold Rush instead of a fast 1200m.

That’s the theory anyway, as Freedman said Celui should be getting close to his peak.

“He wants it to be a testing 1100m because he’s coming back form 1200m and he’s third-up while a few of the others are starting their preps,’’ he said.

“A heavy track may benefit him a little bit. He does over race a touch so 1100m on a wet track may take him back a peg and allow him to relax.

“That Benchmark 88 he ran third in will be a fairly good form reference.”

Celui, $5 with TAB on Friday, won the Skellatar Sprint at Muswellbrook under 63kg at his stable debut then was beaten just under a length by Need Some Luck at Randwick two weeks ago.

He drops 5.5kg on that last start third Freedman referenced and he said he will be better for that run.

“I think he suffered a little bit from second-up syndrome the other day,’’ he said.

“I thought he lacked a little of that dash he does have so hopefully with that second run out of the way he can get a little bit of that back.

“We’re just about getting to our peak in the next start or two and it sets up nicely to head to the Ortensia (at Scone) if he runs well.”

The four-year-old’s only exposure to a heavy track came almost exactly 12 months ago when he ran third in the Group 3 Gold Coast Guineas on a heavy 10 and Freedman said anything better than heavy would still be a plus.

Freedman makes a case that Starboard can be forgiven for his fading fourth at Randwick last start as he heads into another Midway Handicap (1500m).

The gelding hit the front at Randwick before giving late ground to be beaten 1-1/2 lengths by Glounthaune and it’s a run Freedman said he will benefit greatly from.

“He was five weeks between runs and he over did it a bit in the mid stages of the race,’’ he said.

“We’re going to ride him a bit quieter and see if we can get him to switch off.

“He sprinted quite well last start at Randwick, he just hit the front too early and go a bit tired. It sets up nicely for him but he’s got to prove he can get through rain affected going.”

Stablemate Let’s Fly, a last start Kembla Grange winner, is also engaged at Newcastle on Saturday and Freedman said there’s a decision to be made on race morning.

Celui runs third at Randwick on April 19

“Her last start win was a big improvement from her first-up run,’’ he said.

“She makes her own luck, she’s a talented three-year-old filly who will get better as she gets older.”

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