While his Black Caviar Lightning Stakes winner Skybird may not run in Victoria again this season, trainer Mitch Freedman still has a big Flemington feature in mind later this month following the impressive second-up run of Attrition at Flemington on Saturday.
Freedman confirmed on Saturday that Skybird will miss Saturday’s Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington and was also struggling to be right for the G1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) on March 22 at The Valley after straining a pectoral muscle in her Lightning Stakes blitz.
Taking his place as the most likely next G1 winner for the stable is already credentialled Toorak Handicap winner Attrition, who progresses next to the Australian Cup on March 29.
His run for second in the Blamey Stakes was excellent from a weight-for-age Australian Cup point of view, as he gave the eventual winner Marble Arch 5kg after giving her stablemate Rise At Dawn 6.5kg when first-up in the Elms Stakes at Flemington.
“He had to give away weight and a positional advantage to the winner, but I thought he was really good and when Zardozi came up beside him, he was really digging in for the fight,” Freedman said on Saturday. “His last furlong was super and he’s right on track.
“The plan is Australian Cup and whether we go Peter Young (Stakes) to the Australian Cup or whether we go straight there, we will make a decision.
“What he is doing, he doesn’t need racing. He’s so fit and so ready it’s just a matter of getting him there in the best possible shape.
“He loves it firm. He wasn’t advantaged by the wet ground (in the Elms) but he ran really well and we’ve been thrilled with him since.”
WATCH: Attrition’s second placing in the Blamey Stakes
- Racing.com News Desk
