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By Ray Hickson

Mr Burgundy was a big baby who has taken time to grow up but trainer Will Freedman is excited to find out what the youngster can do when he makes his debut at Hawkesbury on Thursday.

Trainer Will Freedman

A $15,000 buy when Freedman was just stablishing his Scone stable, the three-year-old turned some heads – including those of some Hong Kong buyers – when he romped away with a barrier trial at Muswellbrook a month ago.

So all eyes will be on Mr Burgundy when he contests the Macquarie Liberals Handicap (1100m).

“You don’t win any prizemoney for winning trials but it is an indicator of ability if they do it well,’’ Freedman said.

“We entertained some offers from Hong Kong but the way things fell we are heading to the races.

“He was a $15,000 yearling and I’d only just started training and I put a few of my friends in for a bit of fun and he’s turned into a lovely animal.”

Freedman said Mr Burgundy stands at 16.3 hands which is above average for a horse, particularly a young one, so it’s taken a while for his mind to catch up to his body.

The rate of progress was on display when the gelding ran 58.44 for the 1000m in his trial win, the fastest of the morning, and he cruised home by over six lengths.

“He’s not the brightest horse by any means but if he can do everything right he certainly has his share of ability,’’ he said.

“The penny I think has dropped now, we just gave him the time he needed. When you are buying at that budget of yearling they are not usually early types.

“So he’s take a little longer to grow into himself and whatever he does (at Hawkesbury) will be better for it. But he is a horse I have a bit of an opinion of.”

Mr Burgundy, with Brandon Griffiths taking the ride, was $2 with TAB on Wednesday to make a winning debut.

Though he is well aware that impressive trial wins create expectation Freedman warns there is still a learning curve happening with the horse but on what he’s seen can only expect a solid performance.

“I find it very hard to declare first starters because you just don’t know how they will handle the day,’’ he said.

“If his race manners are reasonable and he doesn’t get overawed by the experience then I don’t see any reason he won’t be right in the finish.”

Both Celestial Doll and La Tigresa were due to race at last week’s Moree Cup meeting but Freedman had to find another option when the meeting was called off after two races.

He said the mares will take improvement from their Hawkesbury assignments. Celestial Doll runs in the Fowler Civil Contracting Handicap (1100m) after finishing midfield first-up at Narromine on a heavy track.

Mr Burgundy wins a trial at Muswellbrook on October 6

“We rode her quite negatively and she made ground in the straight,’’ he said.

“This is a lot harder than it was going to be at Moree but we are trying to get her eligible to run in a Highway at some point.”

La Tigresa had almost a year off the scene prior to resuming on a heavy track at Tamworth on October 11 and Freedman expects a lift on that run in the St Johns Park Bowling Club Handicap (1400m).

“She was 12 months off the scene and she showed she lacked that race practice,’’ he said.

“She will come on from the run because she had so long off but we are a lot closer to getting her to her peak. They are probably both looking for one more run to top them off nicely.”

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