Anthony and Sam Freedman are hoping the decision to bypass Moonee Valley on Saturday can reap the ultimate reward when Arqana jumps from an inside gate in today’s $120,000 Balaklava Cup.
The stable had the in-form mare set to run in Melbourne last weekend but the lure of the Listed feature prompted their decision to come to Adelaide with Melbourne Cup winning jockey Jye McNeil riding following a sharp recent Cranbourne trial.
“We had her in Saturday just in case,’’ Freedman said.
“She drew one which is a negative around the Valley, and then she drew one again
“This is a Stakes race, we want to try and gets some black type with her.
“She’s going super, her trial at Cranbourne the other day was excellent, she’s probably better on soft ground but also might be good enough to be right there on top of the ground,’’ he said.
Last-start Leon Macdonald Stakes winner Second To Nun has been $5.50 out to $8 since markets opened from her middle gate (nine).
The mare is trying to give co-trainer Will Clarken a third straight win in the race after Noname Lane (2022) and Ironclad (2023) were successful.
The stable also have Favourite Child, the booking of Jamie Kah not enough to see that horse drift from $4.80 to $6.
Michael Hickmott will saddle up no short of five Cup runners.
Alpine Flyer, who finished fourth last year, a $10 chance from barrier six, Dubai Poet a $19 chance after opening up $26, Riverplate is marked $18, Lord Vladivostok ($26) while Craig Newitt comes back to SA to ride Maracourt who is a $13 chance from a good barrier (two).
“You’ve always got to be very respectful of races like this,’’ Hickmott said.
“I think they are even horses, they’ve all got their pros and cons today.
“If it was a heavy track, I think Alpine Flyer would be half that mark (price) but they’ll go there and perform well hopefully,’’ Hickmott said.
Exciting four-year-old Air Assault has to overcome barrier 17.
“His profile is to jump and put himself into his races so Jason (Holder) has a couple of furlongs to sort that out,’’ trainer Andrew Gluyas said.
“His first-up run was excellent, his second-up run might have been (a touch of) second-up blues.
“I’m excited to see him at a mile,’’ he said.
