A lot of water, and travel, has gone under the bridge since the last time Skybird was in the winner’s enclosure.
That came on a rain-soaked Flemington track when the Mitch Freedman-trained mare took out the Group 1 Lightning Stakes (1000m).
Freedman is hoping for similar conditions when Skybird heads to Sandown on Saturday to run in the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m), a race transferred from Moonee Valley as that track undergoes a transformation.
The Moir, being run at Sandown, offers a different dimension than a 1000m race at Moonee Valley, a fact not lost on Freedman.
Skybird ran in the Moir last year, finishing sixth behind Baraqiel, without having any luck.
“Being at Sandown and not around The Valley, it changes the dynamics a bit, maybe not the field size and hopefully she can have a bit more luck than last year,” Freedman said.
Following the Moir run, Skybird ran in the Manikato Stakes, again at Moonee Valley, but her latest campaign was all interstate – Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney.
Skybird’s most recent appearance was in the Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup at Eagle Farm in May.
“She’s come off a Brisbane campaign which is not something the stable has done before, but it’s amazing how quickly she has come up,” Freedman said.
“She’s had the one trial, worked really well, and went to Caulfield during the week for another trip away from home.
“She’ll go first-up into the Moir and hopefully undo some of the wrongs from last year.
“Hopefully there is a bit of rain about in the lead-up and we can see her perform up to her best, because at her best, she’s right up there with the top sprinters in the land.
“She’s been beaten just over three-quarters-of-a-length by two superstars in Joliestar and Giga Kick, so she’s certainly around the mark on her day.”
Freedman said he would not be afraid to travel Skybird again this campaign.
“We’ll keep an eye on what races are coming up and when,” Freedman said.
“We know Victoria and New South Wales like to run big races at the same time, so if we have to swing one way, we know travel doesn’t affect her.
“She relishes the travel, so we’ll monitor if there’s a race that looks a little bit softer or there’s some (bad) weather coming that might allow us to get those soft track conditions, then we might take those opportunities.
“She’s pretty versatile and ticks a lot of boxes as to the courses she can race on and we’ve got her narrowed down now to 1000 to 1200 (metres), that’s about her and any sting out of the ground, she gets through it better than most.”
