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Trainer Michael Freedman is one of five trainers to have multiple runners in the Group 1 $1.15 million Emirates Singapore Derby over 2000m on Sunday.
Photo by Singapore Turf Club
Freedman will saddle two runners in Sunday’s contest – Tropaios and Raziyya Of Sydney – and joins Shane Baertschiger, Cliff Brown, Steven Burridge and Hideyuki Takaoka as trainers with multiple runners in the 16 horse, plus one emergency, field.
Burridge has three entries with the last week’s 1800m winner Over Easy being the emergency acceptor.
With Greg Cheyne booked for Tropaios and Corey Brown aboard Raziyya Of Sydney, Freedman is looking for good performances from the pair but admits it will be a difficult task in toppling the highest rated runner in the race Better Life – one of two runners for Takaoka (Musketeer being the other).
“Better Life is clearly the one to beat,” said Freedman. “She’s proven herself at a higher level than this. She’s the best stayer here.
“It gets down to getting good runs in the race and a bit of luck as well if we are to beat her.”
The Freedman pair rounded off their preparations doing separate pieces of work on Wednesday morning.
“Raziyya (Of Sydney) worked in the company of another horse and Corey rode her and it was nice work as her final gallop,” said Freedman.
“I worked Tropaios on his own and I was happy with his work. He worked with a cross-over noseband, so we’ll go with that for the Derby.
“He just wanted to hang out a little at his last start, so we’ll just see if we can keep his mouth closed and just prevent him from hanging out.”
Freedman has specifically set his two candidates for the Derby after the pair began their careers in Singapore.
“When he (Tropaios) was bought in October last year the idea was to have him out here and to get him ready for the Derby,” said Freedman.
“I’ve been happy with his preparation. Obviously this hanging out business is a bit of a concern, but we’ve made the gear change there.“I think too that if there was a bit of rain about and it put a bit of softness in the track on Sunday that would certainly help him.
“He’s probably more used to racing on tracks with a little bit of give in France than the harder tracks here.
“She (Raziyya Of Sydney) would be OK on the firm, but better with a bit of give and most horses would be the same I would say.”
Both Tropaios and Raziyya Of Sydney had their final prep races in the Open Handicap race won by Deep Pockets over 1800m on June 23.
Freedman was happy with the performances of the pair and believes Raziyya Of Sydney should have finished a bit closer with her feather weight of 49.5kg under Barend Vorster.
“She got carted off the track by the stablemate (Tropaios) which didn’t help,” said Freedman.
“Barend felt in hindsight that if he’d been able to wait and get a run inside the horse that was hanging out then she would have finished a lot closer.
“The 2000m looks as though it will suit her. She’s run over longer journeys in New Zealand as a three-year-old back there and she’s bred to get over that trip so I think the 2000m should suit her.”