Spring hope Without A Fight has progressed his campaign with a gallop between races at Sandown.
Joining up with stablemate Third Realm, the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained pair galloped over 1000m, quickening up over the final 400m.
Sam Freedman said he was grateful the Melbourne Racing Club allowed the pair to work at Sandown on Wednesday on good ground.
Freedman said the gelding would have another trial in around 10 days’ time at Cranbourne and will then be ready for the first start of his campaign in either the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington September 16 or in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield the following week.
The Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 7 will determine whether Without A Fight heads to the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 21 or to the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 28.
While he will be entered for the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 7, Freedman said that race was unlikely to be on the gelding’s agenda after he finished 13th in it last year.
Without A Fight had a successful two run campaign in Queensland over the winter, winning the Lord Mayor’s Cup and the Q22, and Freedman said that had held him in good stead since returning to Melbourne.
“He’s pretty forward,” Freedman said.
“His trial the other day was on pretty choppy ground, and we just held him together, so he’ll tighten up with that work today.
“For a horse like him that had a fair amount of time off after the Melbourne Cup, we wanted to keep him up and active for the spring and he looks like he’s going to be in for a good preparation.
“He’s going to have to improve in the races he runs in, but he’s going to be a chance somewhere.”
Freedman said punters should not be put off if Without A Fight does not perform up to expectations on wet ground as was the case when sixth to Steinem in a trial at Cranbourne on August 7.
“At Cranbourne the other day, he didn’t pick his feet up on soft ground,” Freedman said.
“He doesn’t perform on soft, so it’s nothing to be concerned about and hopefully we get some good tracks for his work and his trials coming up and he should be in for a good prep.”