Michael Freedman is one of several trainers keeping close tabs on track conditions at Randwick ahead of Apocalyptic’s clash with Tempted in the Surround Stakes.
While his Group 1-winning filly will go around regardless, Freedman says his confidence levels will dip if conditions deteriorate much beyond Friday’s soft 7 rating.
“I’m looking forward to seeing her back there. I am just keeping an eye on the weather,” Freedman said.
“Anything in the soft range would be OK, but if we got into that heavy range it may change things a wee bit.
“You probably can’t not run because she has never been on heavy. But I get the feeling she wouldn’t want it too wet.”
The winner of three of the four Princess Series races last spring, Apocalyptic went down as an odds-on favourite first-up when second to Savvy Hallie in the Light Fingers Stakes (1200m).
Freedman regarded the effort as “good enough” in what was a leader-dominated race, and has been boosted by how well the three-year-old has done since.
Savvy Hallie will again be among her Surround Stakes (1400m) rivals, along with Tempted, although unlike Apocalyptic neither is proven beyond 1200m.
Not that Freedman can see too many negatives for either opponent, agreeing with punters that $1.60 favourite Tempted is the benchmark based on her past two performances.
“I know a few people have queried Tempted at 14 (1400 metres), but to my eye she looks like she’d run it out pretty solidly,” he said.
“She’s run second in an Everest and was obviously impressive first-up. She’s the one that’s got the really good from going into it.”
While Freedman isn’t certain how Apocalyptic will enjoy a heavily rain-affected track, he has no such concerns for Guy Walter Stakes (1400m) contender Manaal, who has won three of her five starts on soft and heavy ground.
The mare resumed with her usual honest effort when runner-up in the Triscay Stakes (1200m) and under a more favourable weight scale at Randwick, shapes as one of the leading contenders.
“She’s a terrific mare. She’s always thereabouts,” Freedman said.
“She has a slightly tougher draw than what she’s had the last few, but if we do get a bit of rain and the track is genuinely soft, it might offset that.”
Freedman also has Hardanger in the Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m), describing her as a genuine, tough filly who should run well again, while he will weigh up whether to send around Outspan from a wide draw in the Skyline Stakes (1200m), or save him for the Black Opal Stakes (1200m) at Canberra on Sunday week.
“It was a pretty ordinary set up for him two weeks ago, unfortunately, and it doesn’t look much better for him this week if we don’t get a lot of scratchings,” Freedman said.
