Michael Freedman produces an inspired training effort to bring Yiska back in trip and find winning form at Rosehill

An astute training effort by Michael Freedman and a positive ride from Rory Hutchings gets Yiska back into the winners’ circle at Rosehill

Yiska returns to winning form in the Midway Handicap at Rosehill. Picture: Getty Images

Yiska bounced back to top form with a facile win in the Rosehill Gardens opener on Saturday.

In-form jockey Rory Hutchings gave Yiska the run of the race and the sprinter responded with a dominant display in the Midway Handicap (1100m).

“Barrier draws win races,” Hutchings said.

“We were able to end up handy one off the fence and the race was set up with speed on. We just had to time it right.”

Hutchings did get the timing just “right” as Yiska ($6.50) exploded clear to win by a widening two-and-a-half lengths from Everyone’s A Star ($9) with Flightcrew ($8.50) one-and-a-half lengths away third.

The Midway at Rosehill goes to Yiska!@aus_turf_club@[e-mail]/nKvyXtstBi

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 1, 2024

Yiska, trained by Michael Freedman, ran below expectations when unplaced behind Elson Boy at the Scone stand-alone meeting last start but he was advantaged at Rosehill by a kind draw (barrier 2) and shorter race distance.

“Credit to Michael, he brought Yiska back in trip, freshened him up and you saw the real horse today,” Hutchings said.

“His acceleration was very good. The other day at Scone I thought I was going to get the same response when he travelled up on the bridle but he just didn’t see out the trip (1300m).

“He came back in distance to 1100m today and he was electric.”

Sophie Johnson, the racing manager for the Freedman stable, said Yiska responded to a positive ride from Hutchings.

“Rory got Yiska into a really nice position with cover early in the race,” Johnson said.

“When he got to the top of the straight and found open space, he finished the race off well.”

Yiska is raced by prominent Sydney racing identity and breeder Anthony Gow-Gates, who is best known as the part-owner of the former outstanding galloper Fairway, winner of three Group 1 races including the 2000 AJC Australian Derby.

Fairway also ran down the mighty Sunline in an epic duel for the 2000 Turnbull Stakes.

Yiska is not in Fairway’s league but he is building a good race record with his Rosehill success his fourth win from 12 starts for prizemoney of more than $150,000.

Originally published as Michael Freedman produces an inspired training effort to bring Yiska back in trip and find winning form at Rosehill