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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Michael Freedman has an open mind when it comes to where Queen Of The Ball could end up this spring but he says the sky’s the limit if she backs up her promising return when she heads to Rosehill on Saturday.

Trainer Michael Freedman

There’s a Group 1 on offer down south or even the TAB Everest – bear in mind two of the last three winners of the Group 2 $300,000 Irresistible Pools Sheraco Stakes (1200m) have found themselves in the nation’s premier sprint – it’s just over to the horse to put her hoof up.

Queen Of The Ball only raced twice in the autumn as an issue was detected but her gutsy first-up second to Parisal in the Toy Show (1100m) three weeks ago, on unsuitable ground, encouraged Freedman.

“I think she’s going probably as well as she’s ever gone,’’ he said.

“She had a long spell after the autumn, had a tidy up in the throat where she had a growth we had removed.

“Her run in the Toy Show the other day on a slightly soft track, which is probably not ideal for her, was a very good run.”

Freedman said the Group 3 $2 million Sydney Stakes (1200m) on Everest Day is probably a good race to target at this early stage.

However, both Shades Of Rose (2022) and Haut Brion Her (2020) secured Everest slots on the back of wins in the Sheraco so anything's possible.

“Depending on now she goes the Moir at the end of the month would be something I’d have a look at,’’ Freedman said.

“There’s Everest slots hanging around, every man and their dog is declaring their horse heading towards the Everest, and if her form stood out enough she might attract a bit of interest.”

As for the Sheraco, Freedman said Queen Of The Ball, $9.50 with TAB on Thursday, is fitter for the first-up run and will appreciate a firmer track so that will give Rachel King every opportunity to ride to her strengths and use barrier one.

“That’s her natural racing style, to go forward, and Rachel knows her very well,’’ he said.

“We won’t be taking too much time in terms of how we ride her.”

The barrier gods weren’t so kind to Freedman’s three-year-olds Moravia and Ducasse in their respective Rosehill appointments.

He said Moravia, a game second to Libertad in the San Domenico, will have a job from the outside gate in the Group 2 $300,000 James Squire Run To The Rose (1200m) but he’ll keep an eye on the meeting before locking Tyler Schiller into any instruction.

“He’s a nice colt, the draw is not ideal and I would have preferred to draw a bit softer,’’ he said.

“Stepping out of maiden grade at Newcastle to that level at his second start was a big effort. He goes into the race fit and well.

“I want to have a bit more of a look at the race as to how we ride him. He does have decent gate speed so given he’s jumping from the outside we’ll have to look at how it may pan out.”

Ducasse didn’t have the best of luck when he resumed with a cheeky fourth in the Up And Coming Stakes and Freedman will consider whether he runs from the outside gate in the Group 3 $250,000 ACY Ming Dynasty Quality (1400m) or a Super Maiden at Kembla Grange from gate one.

Moravia runs second at Rosehill on August 26

He said Kembla is an option though carrying 58.5kg, after Jett Stanley's claim, and giving weight to older horses isn't ideal even if it is a maiden.

“I’m probably leaning towards running him despite the horror draw because it keeps us on track for a Golden Rose if he jumped out of the ground or the Caulfield Guineas Prelude,’’ he said.

“The horse in three starts probably hasn’t had a great deal of luck and probably isn’t going to get much from where he’s drawn on Saturday either.”

Michael Freedman on Bunker Hut (race 1): “He somehow managed to pull both shoes off when he left the gates so he ran that race barefoot in front so there was more merit in his Warwick Farm win. He’s a progressive sort of horse, I think he’s better being kept at the shorter journeys. His trial was nice and gets into that race with a nice draw. It’s taken a while to work him out but I think he’s a horse that loves being ridden with a bit of cover.”

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