Michael Freedman has trained his share of talented horses but none has ever excited him as much Flight Stakes winner Apocalyptic.
The three-year-old rubber stamped her position as Sydney’s benchmark filly with another dominant performance in the final leg of the four-race Princess Series, adding Saturday’s Flight Stakes (1600m) at Randwick to her wins in the Furious (1200m) and Tea Rose Stakes (1400m).
Freedman has put the polish on horses the ilk of 2021 Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside but says he has never been as excited by a horse.
“I haven’t been,” Freedman said.
“I think it is quite rare to see horses that can come out in their first four starts – she was unlucky here first-up in December – and then go Group Two, Group Two, Group One. It’s pretty rare air.
“She is a special filly. I’m a bit lost for words.
“You spend a lot of time in this business trying to find horses like this and the world is her oyster.”
From an awkward draw, Tommy Berry settled Apocalyptic ($1.65 fav) in second and she swept to the front in the straight, surging clear to defeat Within The Law ($6) by 1-1/4 lengths with Karinska ($26) a half-neck back in third.
Freedman said racing so handy to the speed hadn’t been Plan A but Berry was forced to take the initiative when he was going to be caught wide.
“We didn’t necessarily want to be up as close as we were but I could see when Tommy thought he was going to be three-wide without cover again, we had discussed trying to avoid doing that,” he said.
“Sitting up at the leader’s girth was Plan B but great turn of foot. Great filly.”
Freedman will see how Apocalyptic comes through Saturday’s run before deciding where she heads next with a trip to Melbourne and a stint in the spelling paddock both on the table.
If he did press on, the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) or the Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) would be the likely options.
Jason Collett on runner-up Within The Law said she reacted much better from a low draw after contending with wide gates at her past two starts and finishing out of the placings.
“Far better today. She was able to use the better barrier. Good to see her back on track,” Collett said.
