Gloaming Stakes winner Love Tap will continue his campaign in Sydney due to lack of suitable races during the Brisbane winter carnival.
The three-year-old, who won his first four starts before finishing fourth to Montefilia in the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes in October, was ruled out of the autumn in Sydney due to a hock injury.
He resumed from a long layoff with a midfield effort behind Glitter Strip over 1350m at Doomben on May 15 before trainers Michael and Richard Freedman made the decision to pull the plug on his Queensland preparation and return to Sydney.
“The only races to run him in were to go second-up in the Fred Best over 1400 and he’s looking for a little bit further,” Michael Freedman said.
“We felt it would be better to have him back here, give him a run or two and freshen up for the spring.
“He’s going to have a run, probably next weekend in a benchmark race here (at Rosehill).”
Freedman said Love Tap had come through his first-up run in good order and rated his Doomben effort as sound.
“It wasn’t too bad after a long layoff. He was probably a bit ring rusty and I thought he made up nice ground on a track that didn’t really suit,” Freedman said.
The Freedmans continued their good season with two-year-olds on Saturday claiming the Group 2 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes at Eagle Farm with Tiger Of Malay, while Park Avenue maintained his unbeaten record with a narrow win at Randwick.
The Segenhoe Thoroughbreds youngster will now be considered for a stakes assignment in Queensland.
