It’s been a case of playing catch up for Tom Kitten, but Sam Freedman believes he is ready to put his best foot forward in the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes (1609m) on Saturday at Randwick.
After being scratched at the barriers in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) in what would’ve been the gelding’s first up run, Tom Kitten has run in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) and Group 2 Feehan Stakes (1600m), races that Freedman says haven’t been run to suit.
Tom Kitten struggled to make inroads in both small fields won by their respective leaders, Mr Brightside and Mr Brightside, with Freedman, who trains in partnership with his father Anthony, expecting Saturday’s contest to prove more suitable.
“He’s been good, he arrived up in Sydney on Sunday morning,” Freedman said.
“He worked strongly Tuesday morning, so he just needs a big field, a lot of tempo.
“He should get that on Saturday, which is, I think, just what he’s been lacking in his races so far this prep.
“They’ve all been small fields, tactical races. He’s been over-racing a touch, but he feels like he’s probably coming right for the right race.
“It’s been frustrating. Missing the run in the Memsie, it’s had a bit of a knock on effect. We had to trial him again, then he went to the Makybe and they crawled, he was keen,” Freedman lamented.
“Then he went to the Feehan and they went flat out from the thousand (metres). He had to work into the race to get to them, and then he ran out of tickets the last little bit.
“But weirdly enough, the two races have possibly married up to have him pretty ripe for Saturday. I saw Attrition ran really well in the Hill Stakes out of Pride Of Jenni’s race, so I think there’s some confidence that he’s going to be ready to go for this weekend.
“His best form he’ll be right there, but it’s a tough race and on exposed form so far this prep he needs to improve, but I think the trip away, his coat’s starting to come right, he’ll give him something to race for anyway.”
Tom Kitten is rated a $21 chance in a market headed by Fangirl for the King Charles III Stakes which will be run over a true mile distance of 1609m rather than the usual 1600m.
The extended trip benefits younger horses under the weight-for-age scale which operates on 200 metre increments, meaning nominated three-year-old Within The Law will carry 49kg rather than 50kg if the Bjorn Baker trained filly is to run.
