![Mitch Freedman believes $51 Cox Plate outsider Attrition is in better form than last year ahead of Saturday's Group 1 feature at Flemington. [Bradley Photos]](https://betsy.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Attrition.jpg)
Victory in the Cox Plate is the stuff of dreams and trainer Mitch Freedman would like nothing more than to be recognised as a trainer to have won the weight-for-age championship.
This year, the Cox Plate (2040m) on Saturday takes on a different perspective away from the cauldron like theatre of Moonee Valley.
With Moonee Valley undergoing a rebuild, the race moves to Flemington where it will be a vastly different race to its previous 105 runnings.
Not that Freedman is concerned with that as he saddles in form galloper Attrition, a $51 chance, who at his most recent outing took out a second Hill Stakes (1900m) at Rosehill.
Attrition has flown under the radar in most of his 33 starts, that has netted five wins and almost $4.4 million prize money.
He was narrowly beaten as a three-year-old in the Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington and has a Toorak Handicap (1600m) to his credit.
Freedman reckons the now seven-year-old is going better this year than when fourth in last year's Cox Plate in which Light Infantry Man and Aeliana finished behind him.
"Everything he's doing, whether that's the feel he's giving us under saddle, or whether it be the run in the Hill Stakes, says he is," Freedman said.
"The data we are seeing comparable to his gallops last year, he's in such a better spot.
"Some of the horses that he beat home last year are significantly shorter in the market, so he's a good roughie for the punters out there."
Attrition is yet to win at Flemington, but by the same token he had not been successful at Moonee Valley either.
Besides his Guineas placing, Attrition has also ran second in a Blamey Stakes.
"He was narrowly beaten in an Australian Guineas, and he's had a few other hard luck stories when he's gone around at Flemington and hasn't quite had things in his favour." Freedman said.
"We're hoping that he will get that from the good draw on Saturday and when it's really time to put your hand up, he's one of them.
"He's handled high-tempo races in the past and the spot he's in at the moment, he sets himself up well to handle it.
"It is the stuff you dream of racing in the Cox Plate and we're certainly coming off a long run up competing against some of these stables and horses, but he's in great shape and we're looking forward to Saturday."
