‘Reminds me of Manaal’: Freedman finds another exciting juvenile

Michael Freedman’s uncanny knack with two-year-olds was on display again at Randwick as Shraddha made a one-act affair of the Gimcrack Stakes, prompting the trainer to draw comparisons with Manaal.

Manaal won the corresponding race three years ago before going on to claim the Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) in the autumn, and another trio of black-type races after her juvenile season.

Freedman has also won two of the past six Golden Slippers with Marhoona (2025) and Stay Inside (2021), who he prepared in conjunction with brother Richard, but laughed off suggestions he had a secret formula with two-year-olds.

“I love working with them. I don’t know that there is any secret sauce,” Freedman said.

“You just work with them and the ones that look like they’ll go early will tell you, and the ones that don’t will tell you the same way.

“Funnily enough, I said to my foreman this morning, she reminds me a lot of Manaal. She has a really good turn of foot, which Manaal did too, and I think she has a bright future.”

By Ole Dancer, Shraddha was a $250,000 Magic Millions yearling buy and won her 850m heat at the official two-year-old trials last month when she led.

However, Freedman instructed jockey Tommy Berry to try to find cover in Saturday’s Gimcrack Stakes (1000m), and it almost worked too well as the filly had to push into a narrow gap to make her winning run.

“There wasn’t much of a gap there at the top of the straight, but she put herself into it and won with authority,” Berry said.

“She hit the front at the 300 metres and had her ears pricked the whole way down the straight.

“When the opposition gets better, she will get better.”

Freedman also had colt Capitano finish second to Flying Houdini in the Breeders’ Plate (1000m) for the males, and said he would see how both youngsters came through their assignments before locking in a plan.

However, his initial thoughts are to give Capitano a let-up and aim at the Magic Millions Classic (1200m) at the Gold Coast in January, and spell Shraddha in preparation for an autumn carnival campaign.