Anthony Freedman is likely to dodge star colt All Too Hard with Sandown winner Boban in the Group One Sires’ Produce Stakes at Randwick on Saturday week.
Boban, wearing blinkers for the first time and with the ear muffs off, was sent out at $11 in the Schweppes Hcp (1400m) on Wednesday.
The son of Preakness Stakes winner Bernadini and Australian Oaks winner Kenbelle gave Freedman and jockey Daniel Moor the first leg of a winning double when he scored by 1-1/2 lengths from Right To Roam with the winner’s stablemate Beaumaris a short neck away third.
A protest lodged by Rhys McLeod, rider of the runner-up, against the winner alleging interference near the 700m was dismissed after a short hearing.
Freedman said he thought Boban could win the Listed St Albans Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on March 16 but he ran last of seven runners to Underestimation.
“He’s shown really good ability and we were very bullish about him early days but it all went wrong at his first couple of runs,” Freedman said.
“The Bernadinis take a bit of time.
“We’ll see how he comes through here and look at the Sires in South Australia.
“He’s still in the Sires in Sydney but I think All Too Hard might be a bit too good.”
The Group One Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) is run at Randwick on April 14 and is the next target for the Hawkes-trained All Too Hard.
The half-brother to unbeaten superstar Black Caviar is unbeaten in three starts including the Group Two VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on March 10 and the Group Two Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on March 31.
Freedman said Boban was more likely to contest the Group Three SA Sires’ Produce Stakes (1600m) at Morphettville on April 21.
Freedman and Moor completed the double with Fruehling ($6), also wearing blinkers for the first time, in the following event, the Perri Cutten Plate (1600m).
The Azamour four-year-old entire was placed at his three previous race starts in the UK when prepared by Sir Michael Stoute before being purchased by Freedman stable clients headed by John O’Neill.
“One of my best track riders rode him work when he was in training with Michael Stoute and we sort of followed it through and bought him,” Freedman said.
Freedman, who landed a treble at Sandown a week ago before Wednesday’s double, has gone to third in the Melbourne trainers’ premiership.
The Rye-based trainer has trained 30 winners in Melbourne so far this season, placing him behind leader Peter Moody (65) and Mick Price (36) and two ahead of Peter Snowden and Robert Smerdon.
Craig Williams, fresh from his latest international success aboard Ortensia in the Group One Al Quoz Sprint (1000m) on turf at Meydan in Dubai over the weekend, continued his winning run aboard the Colin Little-trained Blue Ribbon ($6) in the Event Landscaping Solutions Hcp (1400m).
