The weather will dictate whether talented filly Queen Of The Ball kicks off her spring campaign in Sydney or Melbourne as trainer Michael Freedman searches for a dry track.
While Freedman is keen to aim her at the Princess Series races, starting with the Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) at Randwick in two weeks, she will also be entered for the Group 3 Quezette Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield next Saturday and possibly The Rosebud (1100m) at Rosehill.
“We are going to have our cards dealt to us a little bit by what track surfaces we get over the next month or two and we may have to look at Melbourne for her,” Freedman said.
“We will probably enter her for the Quezette in Melbourne next Saturday, have a look at that and keep an eye on the weather.
“If she didn’t go to the Quezette then she may trial at Rosehill next Friday with a view to running first-up in the Silver Shadow if track conditions suit.”
A dominant winner of both the Widden and Black Opal Stakes in the autumn, Queen Of The Ball struggled at her two attempts on rain-affected ground, finishing fifth in the Silver Slipper and midfield in the Golden Slipper.
Freedman said the newly-turned three-year-old had developed nicely during her spell and he was satisfied with her fourth to In The Congo in a recent barrier trial when she wasn’t asked to extend.
“She is never going to be a tall or big filly, but she has definitely strengthened up and she is quite a little powerhouse now,” he said.
“She seems to have come back in good order.
“For her, it is just going to be a juggling act to find some good tracks for her because she’s shown a total dislike for anything worse than about a soft 5.”
Freedman is hoping to play a prominent role right across the three-year-old races with a number of lightly raced colts and geldings also impressing him with their early-season builds ups.
Among them is stakes placegetter Ringmaster and Hawaii Five Oh, an unraced full brother to the ill-fated Libertini who is on target to make his debut in the next month.
