![Genesis Runner will back up in the Gloaming Stakes just seven days after his narrow Dulcify Stakes defeat. [Bradley Photos]](https://betsy.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/2322660.jpg)
Still smarting from a narrow defeat in a head-bobbing finish to the Dulcify Stakes, co-trainer Will Freedman is hoping a seven-day back-up can prove the right recipe for talented colt Genesis Runner.
The three-year-old went down by a short half-head to Wonka, and both will turn up again in Saturday’s Gloaming Stakes (1800m) at Rosehill with a view to the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) a fortnight later.
While Freedman would prefer to be coming into the weekend off a stakes win, he’s been boosted by how well the three-year-old has bounced through the run.
“It’s frustrating, but onto the next,” Freedman said of the Dulcify loss.
“Your hand is slightly forced because the alternative is to go three weeks between runs, and then go up four hundred metres (in distance). If you feel like you’ve got an athletic horse that doesn’t need the run then great, you can wait the three weeks.
“But for a horse like him that needs a bit of racing to hit peak fitness, the back-up was a pretty straightforward answer, and the fact he pulled up so well and was bucking and carrying on Monday morning sealed the deal.”
Saturday will mark the first time Genesis Runner has raced on a seven-day turnaround and given he is a “gross-doing” colt, Freedman is hoping the ploy suits his charge.
He has also made a minor gear change, swapping blinkers for visors on the advice of jockey Chad Schofield.
“Chad felt, with the blinkers, he lost sight of the bunny a little bit and gave Wonka the ability to then go ahead, and he kicked late again,” Freedman explained.
“It’s just to give him that slight bit of visibility so he doesn’t switch off in thinking his job is done.”
With the scratching of Concrete Storm, a field of 11 will line up in the Gloaming Stakes (1800m) with the unbeaten Proxima Dea a $4 favourite to become just the second filly to win after Constant Flight in 1993.
Genesis Runner is high in early calculations as a $4.60 chance.
Nine horses have captured the Gloaming-Spring Champion Stakes double in the past 30 years with El Castello in 2024 the most recent.
Stablemate Magnatear will be the yard’s other black-type runners in the Alan Brown Stakes (1400m) as his final lead-in to the Big Dance (1600m) on Melbourne Cup day.
“He likes Rosehill, so he’ll roll forward and do his thing. He’s as genuine as they come, but it’s a hot field,” Freedman said.
“He’ll have two-and-a-half weeks into the Big Dance. This is a $1.5 million race, it’s not taken lightly, but I think he’ll be better with another run under his belt and then he should be ready to fire.”
