Michael Freedman says a seven-day wait-and-see has paid off as Golden Slipper heroine Marhoona is now poised to resume in the Heritage Stakes at Rosehill.
She was a race-morning withdrawal from The Shorts (1100m) at Randwick last weekend, a contest stylishly won by Joliestar, after Freedman weighed up the pattern and barrier draws and elected that this week’s Listed option suited better.
“When I had a look at the set-up of the race and the weight she was going to carry, she was only getting a kilo off Joliestar and the barrier was a little bit of a concern too,” Freedman said.
“We thought, we’ll just go against her own age group and hopefully ont o the Roman Consul (Stakes) after that.
“I’m really happy with her. She worked great here last Tuesday (week) and it was really just deciding to wait and go to (this) week.”
Marhoona’s rise was swift last prep: a narrow Canterbury debut win in February, a close second to Tempted in the Reisling Stakes (1200m), then the signature triumph in the Golden Slipper (1200m).
She fronts a deep three-year-old squad for Freedman that also includes Tea Rose winner Apocalyptic and promising filly Magenta Skies, who broke her maiden at the Newcastle Cup meeting to earn a crack at stakes grade next time.
Among the older horses, talented mare Manaal represents the stable in the Group 2 Golden Pendant (1400m) after recapturing peak form in the Sheraco Stakes (1200m).
Freedman is keeping options open for Manaal with the Golden Eagle (1500m) also under consideration.
“There are lots of good options for four-year-old mares here in the spring,” Freedman said.
“There’s The Invitation and being a four-year-old the Golden Eagle wouldn’t be out of the equation being 1500 (metres).”
The barriers fell kindly: Marhoona has gate four in the Heritage Stakes (1100m) and Manaal has drawn four in the Golden Pendant.
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