Having made the decision to bypass the big spring races with King Of Hastings, the Anthony Freedman stable is hoping the promising three-year-old can measure up to a Queensland summer campaign.
King Of Hastings is set to run in the Magic Millions 3&4YO Classic (1100m) at Ballarat on Saturday as a lead-up to the $2 million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (1400m) on January 11 at the Gold Coast.
A debut winner at Cranbourne in May, King Of Hastings raced through the winter, winning at his third start at Caulfield in June.
Following a let-up, King Of Hastings led before being run down by his Caulfield Guineas winning stablemate Super Seth in the Group Three McNeil Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on August 31.
King Of Hastings had one more start, finishing second to Barcali under set weights and penalties at The Valley on September 27 after which he was given a break.
“We decided after he got beaten at The Valley that he wasn’t going to be up to those top spring horses,” assistant trainer Sam Freedman said.
“So we gave him a let-up and put him in the paddock for a few weeks.”
King Of Hastings tuned up for Saturday’s return by winning a Cranbourne trial over 800m on heavy ground on November 11.
“He’s one that we’ve got earmarked to go towards that Magic Millions meeting for the three-year-old race providing he’s going well,” Freedman said.
“He seems to be going well but we’ll see how he goes on Saturday and then make a decision.”
King Of Hastings shares the third line of betting for Saturday’s race at $5 with Star Fall.
Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes fourth placed Li’l Kontra heads the market at $2.80 ahead of Ef Troop ($4.80) who is having his first start for the Tony and Calvin McEvoy stable.
