Tropicus and Point Barrow are heading into the Oakleigh Plate aiming to deliver Anthony and Sam Freedman a further Group 1 triumph in the sprint ranks.
The 1100m contest scheduled for Saturday acts as Melbourne’s primary autumn examination for the weight-for-age specialists, and mirroring last Saturday’s Black Caviar Lightning conqueror Tentyris, each of these runners arrives at Caulfield fresh from a spell.
Tropicus was absent from view after his sixth-place effort behind Giga Kick during the Group 1 Champions Sprint (1200m) on the closing day of Melbourne Cup week, whereas Point Barrow had not appeared since claiming the Group 3 Red Roses Stakes (1200m) at Flemington during Oaks Day.
Sam Freedman noted that the duo have undergone flawless training regimes ahead of their Saturday comeback, although their racing approaches vary from that of their barn companion.
Point Barrow heads into the feature having completed two trials, including the latest at Balnarring on January 28 where she was partnered by Jamie Melham, who takes over the steering role at Caulfield for his initial race-day outing aboard her.
“She’s had a great prep so far,” Freedman said.
“She’s ready to run a really good race and just needs a bit of luck.
“She’s a bit like Tentyris, she sits back and has that powerful finish, and hopefully it’s a similar result.”
Tropicus claimed victory in his initial trial at Mornington last month, then placed runner-up there once more on January 22, edging just ahead of Tentyris.
Freedman indicated the Oakleigh Plate represents an appealing choice for Tropicus given his affinity for the Caulfield track and the 1100m distance.
On his penultimate outing, he set the pace until late when overtaken by Giga Kick in the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield back in October.
“He’s got a great Caulfield record, and 1100 metres first-up suits him,” Freedman said.
“Tactically for him, it’s better as he’ll be on the speed, but I just don’t know what weight he’ll get.
“I thought he might get 52 (kilos) in a normal year, but it looks like he might be up around the 56 mark which will mark it a hard weight for him to carry, but he’ll take luck out of it by being up there.”
Betting enthusiasts should explore the top Australian betting sites ahead of the Oakleigh Plate.
The post Freedmans in search of another G1 sprint first appeared on Just Horse Racing.