Barrier to decide Ducasse start

Trainer Michael Freedman will look to send Ducasse to Melbourne for a lead-up to the Caulfield Guineas.

But a start in the Group 3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m) on Saturday will be dependent on Ducasse drawing a decent barrier.

The Prelude is the traditional lead-up to the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) on October 14.

This year’s nominations in the Prelude include Little Brose, King Colorado, Veight, Tom Kitten, Steparty and Saltcoats.

Ducasse has not been blessed with good barrier draws throughout his career and a good draw will be crucial to the colt running at Caulfield on Saturday.

“He will probably go to Melbourne for the Guineas Prelude, subject to barriers,” Freedman said.

“If he drew off the track there, I’d probably keep him at home because Sydney horses at Caulfield first time around probably find it tough, particularly from bad gates.

“We might tinker with putting a set of blinkers on him yet too.

“I might work him in them, but he’s come out of his last run great so I’m looking forward to finding a barrier for him where he can ‘posi’ up a bit closer.”

Freedman said he had a couple of back-up options should Ducasse draw off the track on Saturday.

There is the Listed Dulcify Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on September 30 or the $500,000 Tapp-Craig (1400m) at Rosehill on October 7.

“I’d probably wait for a Dulcify, although (stablemate) Pushy, is probably going to head that way,” Freedman said.

“Or maybe a Tapp-Craig, which is a couple of weeks down the track.

“We’ll play it by ear.”

Ducasse has raced on four occasions and has placed only once, on debut, when third on a heavy track at Rosehill in April.

He resumed with a fourth-place finish after drawing barrier one in the Group 3 Up And Coming Stakes (1300m) before finishing a closing seventh in the Group 3 Ming Dynasty Stakes (1400m) after jumping from barrier 16.