Randwick trainer Michael Freedman is trusted with two or three fillies every year from Emirates Park and he has been turning them into Group 1 winners for the past couple of years.
Manaal won the Sires Produce Stakes last year in the familiar green silks with the white sash before Marhoona lifted the holy grail of the Golden Slipper carrying the Freedman polish in the autumn.
“They are great breeders and you know you are getting good horses from them,” Freedman said. “They have good broodmares and match well with their stallions. It’s my job to get the best out of them and it’s working well.”
There is an underrated aspect to Freedman talking about the pair of Group 1 winners that line up at Rosehill on Saturday. Marhoona returns in the Heritage Stakes, while 45 minutes later, Manaal will look to add another Group 2 to her resume in the Golden Pendant.
The calmness around Freedman heading into Saturday, might be because he has liked what he has seen since the beginning of their preparations.
“Manaal was going great heading into the Sheraco [Stakes, which she won] and I think she gets to her sweet spot at 1400m on the weekend,” Freedman said.
“What we had been seeing indicated she was going great, and then she got beaten at Caulfield first-up, but she won’t be the last Sydney horse that didn’t handle Caulfield.”
“She showed what I had seen in the Sheraco, and this is the next step.”
Marhoona makes her spring return carrying the Group 1 penalty against the boys at Listed level. Her target is six weeks away, the Coolmore Stud Stakes, so expect improved from Saturday.
“It is a starting point, but I think she is fairly treated with the 58 [kilos] and the good draw [of gate four] will allow Tommy [Berry] to ride a race,” Freedman said.
Freedman stable is firing particularly with the fillies and mares, and he will look for another Group 1 next week with favourite Apocalyptic and perhaps impressive Newcastle maiden winner Magenta Skies, while Mona Lisa Stakes winner Just Feelin’ Lucky heads to the Stock Stakes at Moonee Valley on Friday night.
“It is just the way things are working out at the moment that we have a group of quality fillies and mares,” Freedman said.
“When Just Feelin’ Lucky won the Mona Lisa, we needed to find a Group 2 for her next and this race fitted the bill.”
“She had a look around the Valley and seemed to handle it OK. She is going great as well.”
