Anthony Freedman held modest hopes for Beskar ahead of the Darby Munro Stakes, yet he felt the three-year-old ought not to have opened at such “stupid odds”.
At $81, the second-longest shot in the lineup, the gelding stunned many bettors by staying close to the pace and delivering decisive blows to hold off Agarwood ($19) and the late-charging Caffe Florian ($12).
“To be fair, he should never have been that. He did run third in a Group Three last start, so $80 is probably ridiculous,” Freedman said.
“It’s still a bit of a surprise.
“He’s a horse that’s got good talent. He does a lot wrong and makes a mess of a few races, but it all went (well) for him today.
“He ran third in the Kindergarten Stakes here last year, so maybe this works better for him, in Sydney.”
Beskar’s placing in the Kindergarten Stakes (1100m) occurred during his second career outing, and although his results over winter and spring were inconsistent, he signalled a strong return with a respectable third to Pallaton in the Zeditave Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield a month ago.
Freedman noted that the gelding’s ability was unquestioned, though minor ailments had troubled him, requiring patience to figure out optimal handling.
“He’s sound now, and we train him very differently,” Freedman said.
“We don’t do any work with him. It takes a while to work some horses out.
“He’s one of those horses who is never one hundred per cent. You get him as good as he can be and keep him happy and don’t work him.”
The Group 2 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint (1200m) over Randwick on April 11 presents a suitable target for the Darby Munro Stakes (1200m) victor from Saturday, even as Freedman concedes he hasn’t mapped out the immediate future.
“I hadn’t looked that far. We will think about it,” he said.
The Darby Munro Stakes has produced notable winners like Autumn Glow from 12 months prior.
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