By Ray Hickson
Trainer Michael Freedman is in two minds about where to point talented filly Mumbai Muse in the coming weeks so is looking to Saturday’s Group 2 $300,000 TAB Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) at Randwick as a guide.
The obvious target for most of the fillies in the race is the Group 1 Surround Stakes, run over 1400m in two weeks and that’s very much one of the options, but Freedman said the $1m Inglis Sprint in Melbourne holds some appeal too.
Mumbai Muse, $7 with TAB on Thursday, was competitive in the early part of the Princess Series in the spring but really emerged after a short break with successive stakes wins in late October and early November.
“I think she’s just been maturing a bit both physically and mentally and I think she’s come back a more furnished article,’’ Freedman said.
“Back in the spring she put in some nice trials early on and ran some good races but I think it all came a bit soon.
“She obviously had a good back end of the spring and had a nice break afterwards.
“We’ll see how she runs against some of those good fillies and see where we sit in calculations after that.”
If trials are any guide, Mumbai Muse has returned well – she stretched Malkovich in her first hitout then ran King Of Sparta to under half a length in her second on February 5.
With the favourites drawn wide, Freedman said Mumbai Muse has a good opportunity to enjoy the run of the race from a favourable barrier.
“She seems to have come back in good order and the trials have been pleasing,’’ he said.
“I think she’s had a good grounding going into a race like that first-up.
“Tommy (Berry) has options for where he settles in the run depending on the speed.
“Potentially it allows us to get a soft run just forward of midfield and see how she finishes off, which will determine the rest of her campaign.”
Unraced colt Enriched impressed Freedman in his latest barrier trial where he pushed Shangri La Express so will be interested to see how he performs against that youngster in the Coolmore Pierro Plate (1100m).
The two-year-old is part of an illustrious racing family, his dam Miss Atom Bomb is the year older half-sister to champion Winx, and it didn’t go unnoticed at the sales as he was a $450,000 buy.
Freedman said he’s been given plenty of time and is under no illusions about the task Enriched faces against two of the leading Golden Slipper fancies.
“It was only his second trial, against a race experienced horse like that I thought he acquitted himself well,’’ he said.
“On the line I thought he was going the equal of Shangri La Express. We’ll get an idea on which way we’re heading with him.
“He’s been a slow maturing horse and he’s come a long way in the past couple of weeks.
Mumbai Muse runs second in a Rosehill trial on February 5
“He’s a laid back customer, we’ve put the winkers on for the race because he was having a bit of a look around in the trial.”
Freedman would expect Enriched to make some use of drawing alongside Shangri La Express who is expected to lead the Pierro Plate.
“You don’t want to be giving away too much start to good quality opposition if you don’t have to,’’ he said.
All the entries, form and replays for Saturday's Randwick meeting