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By Ray Hickson

Exactly where Group 2 winner Pocketing might fit in this spring is a subject of some debate and uncertainty among trainers Richard and Will Freedman as the gelding kicks off his campaign at Rosehill on Saturday.

Will Freedman (Pic: Bradley Photos)

The Tulloch Stakes winner blows out the cobwebs in the Petaluma Handicap (1200m) and at this stage of his preparation Will Freedman said all options are on the table.

He already holds a Cox Plate nomination, he’ll likely be nominated for the Epsom Handicap and there’s still a number of Big Dance eligible races he could be aimed at including the newest addition to the list in next month's $100,000 Tuncurry-Forster Cup.

“I think a mile will be a really nice distance for him, he’s got a bit of brilliance about him and can accelerate,’’ Freedman said.

“I was only saying to Richard the other day it’s almost impossible to predict where he’ll go, it’s a wait and see basket.

“Is he going to be a 2000m horse, is he going to be a miler. Is he a top liner or is he a Group 3 horse?

"He’ll be entered in some good races but like all horses you earn your way into them. If he wins a race over his next two or three starts he might be able to sneak into an Epsom with no weight.”

Pocketing, $19 with TAB on Thursday, made the leap from a narrow Midway win on March 8 to take out the Tulloch Stakes a month later before contesting the Australian Derby where finished eighth behind Aeliana.

Freedman said it was worth sending him around in the Derby but as far as first-up is concerned, while he won on debut at 1200m, expectations are low.

“I think he probably won a Tulloch because he got the right run and was fully fit,’’ he said.

“He ran gamely in the Derby, it was a crack at the stumps but if you win the Tulloch you have a go.

“He’ll need the run, he’s not a 1200m horse and he’ll get outsprinted by some of these others.”

Stablemate Elettrica is also set to commence her campaign in the closer at Rosehill and Freedman said, as her form suggests, she’ll also be in need of the run.

However, she did perform respectably at 1200m when resuming last spring before winning second-up and she notched her first stakes win in the Sunshine Coast Cup in January.

“We’ve got to get her started, she’s well, there’ll be a stakes race for her at some point but she’s not a first-up horse,’’ he said.

The Freedmans could easily have run Ang Pow alongside that duo but have elected to go around with 52kg in the Captivant @ Kia Ora Handicap (1400m).

He’s one horse that Freedman is confident will relish the track conditions and the step up in distance after a cheeky effort first-up over 1100m three weeks ago.

“I thought his last run was really nice for a horse that was five wide the trip,’’ he said.

Pocketing's trial at Rosehill on July 15

“The wetter the better for him, he’s going to enjoy that.

“He’s had his issues and he'll just keep going around in races he can win.

"There’s no real upside to trying to be too ambitious with him, it’s about earning prizemoney and the prizemoney is incredible in Sydney so it’s worth being strategic.”

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