Trainer Michael Freedman heads to Randwick on Saturday with a team of predominantly young, emerging horses and he is hoping that is a good sign for the stable’s future.
Freedman will saddle up a trio of three-year-olds at the Spring Champion Stakes meeting, including Bunker Hut in the feature, while he also has Capitalist colt Mexico making his debut in the Inglis Banner (1000m) at Moonee Valley.
“It’s rare for me with the small team I’ve got that I’d have four runners in a day – five with the one in Melbourne,” Freedman said.
“It’s good. It does potentially set things up nicely for the autumn and hopefully I’ll get a few more of the two-year-olds going over the next few months as well.”
Bunker Hut gets to the Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) after a fifth in the Gloaming Stakes (1600m) and prior to that, his grounding was on the provincial circuit.
He raced keenly on the speed last start and tired late, so Freedman will make two important changes for Saturday’s assignment.
Winkers will replace blinkers and they will revert to riding him more patiently.
“We intended to ride him the way we did in the Gloaming, but I don’t think it suits that horse,” Freedman said.
“He enjoys being ridden, not necessarily out the back, but a little further back in the field where he’s got an opportunity to chase some frontrunners down.
“We’ve taken the blinkers off and gone with a set of winkers. We will look at riding him a bit more conservatively and mixing it up a bit.
“A wet track won’t worry him at all. He is obviously an outsider but ridden slightly differently, it wouldn’t surprise me if he put in a good showing.”
Freedman is upbeat about the prospects of Communist in the Callander-Presnell (1600m) after his solid second to Williamsburg in the Dulcify Quality and is equally optimistic Insurrection can run well, having earned his shot at the Listed Brian Crowley Stakes (1200m) after a solid win at Warwick Farm.
“He’s in great form that horse (Insurrection) and he hasn’t put in a bad run yet. His last two runs have probably been his best two,” Freedman said.
“He has earned his chance at a better grade of race like that on Saturday.”