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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Michael Freedman says there’s a prime opportunity for promising youngster Extractor to set up his entire two-year-old season when he debuts in Saturday’s Group 3 $1 million Golden Gift (1100m) at Rosehill.

On the back of a Group 1 winning season from his star filly Manaal, Freedman has seen a lift in his two-year-old stocks this year and he said Extractor has shown more than enough in his two trials to carry some expectation into the race.

While there are no exemptions on offer, first prizemoney of $580,000 sees the winner safely in the 2025 Golden Slipper field.

“From an autumn perspective it guarantees you a run in the Slipper if you run first and almost guarantees a run if you run second,’’ he said.

“He’s a Magic Millions graduate, if he could run well and come out of it well there’d be some thought of pressing on to that.

“His two trials have both been good, he tracked wide in the trial the other day and ran good time. He got a bit lost up the straight being only his second trial.”

Extractor, $16 with TAB on Thursday, was a $300,000 purchase earlier this year.

He’s one of around 60 two-year-olds in Freedman’s care this season, a rise of up to 30 per cent on last year, and he has 26 of them in work at his Randwick stable.

Extractor runs second in a Kensington trial on November 1

Freedman said Extractor has displayed his share of early talent and should get his chance to show it from a favourable draw in the Golden Gift.

“I haven’t seen a stand out two-year-old yet, which normally by this time of year you have seen one or two,’’ he said.

“You just begin and see how the race pans out, from that gate it gives Tommy (Berry) some options as to whether he jumps and takes it up or sits somewhere in the first four.”

Bunker Hut kicks off his summer preparation in the Petaluma Handicap (1200m) and Freedman said he can always be expected to put in.

The gelding hasn’t won since last September but after a dip at the Provincial-Midway Championships series ended his last campaign with four consecutive placings.

“He seems in good order, he’s coming into his right time of year,’’ he said.

“In his right grade, in his right races he’s a consistent sort of horse. The Darby racing members that are in him are having a lot of run racing him because he’s usually thereabouts.”

Meanwhile, Manaal will have another week or two in the paddock before she returns to work with the Group 1 Surround Stakes her early aim.

The Sires’ Produce winner raced three times in the spring for a win in the Furious Stakes and placings in the Silver Shadow and Tea Rose, but Freedman elected not to press on to the Flight Stakes.

“Because she had a busy two-year-old season I was mindful of giving her as good an opportunity as we can to have her race on into her four-year-old year,’’ he said.

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