A potential Country Championships contender kicks of her all-important campaign at Orange.
With 95 days until the Country Championship Final, trainers are starting to assemble their possibles and probables.
Enter Will Freedman and the Waratah mare Haven whose road to Randwick starts at Orange in Tuesday’s Inland Digital Class 1 Handicap (1280m).
Haven hasn’t quite lived up to either her regal pedigree or her early promise but those closest to the now five-year-old mare know that there’s something there – it’s just a matter of Haven delivering on a more consistent basis.
The Form: Complete NSW Racing thoroughbred form, including video replays and all you need to know about every horse, jockey and trainer. Find a winner here!
“She has got well and truly enough ability but she is a bit of a quirky horse,” Freedman said.
“The only thing that plays against her is that she gets back in her races but if she can settle early, she can finish off.”
Freedman has done his part by finding the perfect race for the daughter of I Am Invincible to open what shapes as a career defining campaign.
Haven makes her central west debut in a Class 1 and from what seems to be a favourable barrier.
“I think she will probably come into barrier six or seven so she will be able to settle just slightly worse than midfield,” her trainer said.
“Orange can sometimes play a little bit leader-bias but it’s a big enough straight that horses get their chance.
“She is ready to strike first-up but she can promise the world and deliver an Atlas at times.”
Haven is one of five horses making the trip from Freedman’s Scone headquarters to Orange on Tuesday with a great deal of interest centred on her stablemate La Tigresa who was foaled just 24 hours before Haven was born.
La Tigresa is not only having her first look at Orange, the 2100m assignment will be the first time she has raced beyond 1800m.
That said, La Tigresa has several factors in her favour, not least her fitness, her pattern, her last start third in the Armidale Cup and being foaled out of a Galileo mare.
“I thought she ran an enormous race last start in Open company,” Freedman said.
“She is carrying a bit of weight which is always a hurdle but she is in terrific form. I think she is the classiest horse in the field, it is just a matter of whether that weight over that trip bogs her down a little bit.
“She’ll run out 2100m on her ear.”
If there is a blowout on the Orange card, it could be Freedman’s circa $61 TAB Fixed Odds pop No Pain who goes straight from 1200m to a mile at this, just his second career start.
“He is a big, gangly, raw Astern,” Freedman explained.
“He certainly wants to get over a trip. He has got a huge action and a huge stride. The penny has quite dropped yet.”
A large ownership group will be tuned in to Orange to see how the Freedman-trained Super Lizzie fares on debut.
The Heart Thoroughbreds filly has five winning siblings who have won a total of 16 races between them.
“She is forward enough to run a good race,” Freedman said.
SCOTT’S DUO READY TO OVERCOME THE VISITOR’S DRAWS
A couple of ‘outside barriers’ might not be enough to deny Albury trainer Donna Scott one last ‘double’ before the end of 2021.
Scott may be only a stones throw away from the Corowa racecourse in country speak, but well and truly landed herself the dreaded visitor’s draw, not once but twice.
Both her runners, Costaway and Lunar Kiss drew 12 of 12 in their respective races.
First to go is Costaway, a lightly-raced four-year-old whose four starts for Scott include a barnstorming style win at Echuca and a last start third at Albury.
“He hasn’t drawn great but you have a bit of a run at Corowa before you hit the first bend,” Scott said.
“He will go back and hopefully he can get another win on the board because he’s been consistent for us.”
Costaway is a son of 2008 Golden Slipper runner-up Von Costa De Hero who is arguably the most maligned millionaire in the Australian racing.
That said, he was certainly a better racehorse than a stallion with 100 winners from almost 200 starters and just two black-type winners.
Scott can lay claim to having trained the best of the breed namely Lord Von Costa whom she saddled-up to win the Listed VRC Victorian Sprint (1200m) at Flemington on July 4, 2020.
As for Lunar Kiss, no horse in the Scott string deserves, or looks closer to, a first win than her.
Lunar Kiss finished a neck second in her 1200m return prior to a lively fifth at Wangaratta over 1400m after that.
“She just didn’t have much luck in running over the border at her last start but Blaike (McDougall) was really happy with how she hit the line,” Scott said.
“I just gave her a little freshen-up because there wasn’t much about for her. Once again, she hasn’t drawn ideal but she will get back to midfield and get a bit cover hopefully and be hitting the line.
“She has got the ability and she might be able to knock them off there but she is bred to get a mile to 2000m so we’ll just see how she comes through this race.”
Originally published as Orange, Corowa preview: Will Freedman has high hopes for Haven in the New Year
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
