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By Ray Hickson

There’s a suspicion from co-trainer Sam Freedman about Group 1 winning colt Artorius that he could be a sprinter in the style of his former stable star Santa Ana Lane.

Co-trainer Sam Freedman (Pic: Grant Guy).

If he is, and is able to beat a strong field of three-year-olds in the Group 1 $1m XXXX Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill on Saturday, there’s a chance a TAB Everest slot holder could come calling.

Freedman, who co-trains with his father Anthony, said there’s currently no plans to target the TAB Everest but Newgate boss Henry Field is open to a colt tackling the $15 million race if they are dominant enough in a Golden Rose.

“At this stage (the Everest) isn’t on his radar but I had a good chat with Henry Field and we are at that stage where we will learn if he is a get back sprinter, you look at a horse like Santa Ana Lane, and whether that could be Artorius’s go,’’ he said.

“Whether we do look to go back to a strongly run six furlongs, Saturday will tell us where we go.”

Santa Ana Lane isn't a bad level to aspire to reach. He contested three Everests from 2018-2020, running second in 2019, and was a four-time Group 1 winner up to 1400m.

Artorius has been beaten in two runs back from a spell in Melbourne at $3 and $1.60 but by small margins and Freedman said while he’s not offering any excuses they weren’t failures.

He was swallowing up the ground late at Caulfield over 1200m first-up when beaten by Bruckner then just failed to run down Mr Mozart over 1400m at Flemington.

“He blew out first-up, I know he was flashing home, but I know he got tired and last start I reckon he got tired again because he was blowing hard,’’ Freedman said.

“You take his starting price out of it (last time) and rate the run on its merits he’s not been beaten far at all.

“We always thought he was a horse that needs a genuine tempo in his races. He is a horse that tends to get stronger off a good tempo as you saw in the Blue Diamond and even in the Slipper late he was warming up.”’

The Blue Diamond winner, $9 with TAB on Wednesday, completed his preparation for the Golden Rose with a gallop at Randwick on Tuesday under Tommy Berry who phoned Freedman afterwards to report he was rapt with the work.

“He’s never been a real flashy worker but we put him with a mate, he worked very strongly and put his mate away late in the gallop,’’ he said.

“He recovered very quickly. He’s taken a bit of time to come into himself and get fit this campaign, he’s a bit stronger and carries more condition, but I think we have him screwed down now.”

Jason Collett has the ride on Saturday and while Freedman would prefer to have not drawn towards the outside he’s hoping for that genuine tempo that Artorius needs to be most effective.

MR MOZART wins the Listed Exford Plate from Artorius and Hilal. pic.twitter.com/RxmOsuTCgC

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) September 11, 2021

He’s not afraid of ruling favourite Anamoe, who he beat in the Blue Diamond, and in an ideal world would love for Collett to be stalking the Godolphin colt.

“There will be good tempo, a horse like In The Congo will be rolling along,’’ he said.

“He isn’t really a horse you can put into a race and particularly from that gate we will have to take our medicine. If we can find our seat and maybe look to follow Anamoe everywhere he goes that might be the best way to go about it.

“We had the wood on him in the Blue Diamond, he beat us home in the Slipper.

“Our horse is getting forgotten about, yeah he has been beaten twice this preparation but I think you’ll see there’s probably not as much between them as the market says.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Golden Rose meeting at Rosehill