Learning To Fly’s Inglis Millennium victory was a bittersweet moment for Michael Freedman.
While the Randwick trainer had to settle for a narrow second with Blanc De Blanc, there was some consolation in the fact Learning To Fly’s performance franked the form of another of his smart two-year-olds, Mumbai Muse.
Mumbai Muse closed strongly when third behind Learning To Fly in the Widden Stakes (1100m), giving Freedman reason for optimism as she prepares to join barn mate Madeira Sunrise in the Group 2 Silver Slipper (1100m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
“Seeing how that filly went (last Saturday), I’m happy to run,” Freedman said.
“I was originally thinking Sweet Embrace (Stakes), but she is in that good a nick.
“I think she has improved quite a bit out of the Widden.”
Fillies have an outstanding recent record in the Silver Slipper winning 11 of the past 20 contests with Sunlight in 2018 the most recent.
The race has also been a keen reference for the Golden Slipper with four of the past 11 Silver Slipper winners going on to capture the showpiece, while Best Of Bordeaux was successful last year before beating all but Fireburn in the Group 1.
Fillies comprise more than half of the seven-horse field for Saturday’s renewal with Magic Millions runner-up Platinum Jubilee and two-time winner Fire Lane joining the Freedman duo.
While Freedman says Mumbai Muse is a different style of filly to stablemate Blanc De Blanc, he holds both in high regard and is keen to see the former build on her encouraging debut.
“They are very different types of fillies. Mumbai Muse is a big, strapping type of filly, (Blanc de Blanc) is a bit more petite,” he said.
“But they both have a really good turn of foot.”
Madeira Sunrise likewise appears to have a bright future, impressing with her effort to get the win on debut at Randwick earlier this month despite racing greenly.
