Freedman feels timing right with filly after team’s tough Golden Slipper run

After a roller-coaster ride to the Golden Slipper, Michael Freedman last week thought he was no chance to qualify a runner.

Pallaton and Apocalyptic had been near the top of betting after strong debuts, but they ended up in the paddock. Extractor and Valedictorian were others from the Freedman camp to fall short of the richest race for two-year-olds.

Marhoona (left) finishes a third of a length second to Tempted in the group 2 Reisling Stakes at Randwick on March 8.Credit: Getty Images

Marhoona was the “last hurrah” when she ran in the Riesling Stakes two weeks ago. She hit the front 200m from home in the Slipper qualifier, only to be swamped by Tempted, which is battling for favouritism in Saturday’s $5 million showpiece at Rosehill.

It left Freedman’s Snitzel filly 34th in the ballot and the Randwick trainer thinking she was a 50-50 chance last weekend to make the 16-horse field. She ended up 15th among acceptances.

“It was a nice surprise,” Freedman said. “This time last week I thought we were no chance, but I guess that’s two-year-old racing. Things can change pretty quickly, so it’s nice to get in and, hopefully, she has a good week.

“Last year James Harron’s horse [Espionage] just missed a run with prizemoney of around $150,000, and this filly has made it this year with $85,000, so it shows you where this year is at.”

Michael, the youngest of the four Freedman brothers who together trained four consecutive Slipper winners in the 1990s, said this was the most open edition of the Slipper he could remember.

“I think in years gone by there’s been one or two real standouts, and while the favourite [Wodeton] has drawn well and is probably a worthy favourite, there’s a couple of others with good winning form, and you can’t ask for more than that,” said Freedman, who also won with Stay Inside in 2021 with brother Richard.

“I can’t recall in recent times there being so many possibilities.”

Michael Freedman celebrates Stay Inside’s 2021 Golden Slipper win with jockey Tommy Berry.Credit: Getty Images

While others from his stable shone early, Freedman was taken by Marhoona after her debut victory at a Friday night Canterbury meeting over 1100m on February 7.

“After she won her first start at Canterbury, she really improved significantly, which is what you want to see in two-year-olds at this time of year,” he said.

“I went into the Reisling thinking she could run really well, even though she was a month between runs, and I thought she did a terrific job sitting on that hot speed.

“She got a bit wayward when she hit the front, but I think she’s come on really well since then. To my mind, she has the right kind of profile for a race like this, that looks quite open.

“Hopefully she seems to be peaking at the right time.”

Helping his cause was a nice draw in barrier six and the securing of Victorian jockey Damian Lane, who won the Slipper in 2019 with Godolphin’s Kiamichi. Marhoona has been popular in betting, firming from $11 into $8.50 with Sportsbet.

“I think in a race like that you always prefer to draw a nice gate to give your jock some options on how he wants to ride,” Freedman said. “It’s a nice spot so hopefully he can make good use of it.

“I did some work on it over the weekend and it was looking a 50-50 proposition. I spoke to Damian’s manager and he said he hadn’t been offered much else in a race he’s desperate to ride in, so he was happy to hold out and see if my filly got in because he’d love to ride her, so it’s all panned out.”

After winning in collaboration with his brothers, he said it would be extra special to land his first Slipper as a solo trainer.

“There’s certainly that, and [owners] Emirates Park have been terrific supporters of the stable, and we didn’t have much luck with Manaal last year when she drew the extreme outside and had a luckless run, so it would be nice to at least give this filly a chance to put her best foot forward,” he said.

Freedman also has last-start Fireball Stakes winner Enriched in the listed Darby Munro Stakes (1200m), which marks the return of unbeaten Chris Waller-trained filly Autumn Glow ($1.90) from injury. Enriched is a $11 chance.

“Enriched has had a good couple of weeks, so it’s a nice option for him,” he said.

Time To Boogie ($19) was first emergency for the group 1 Galaxy for Freedman but secured a start with the scratching of Ostraka on Friday.