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By Ray Hickson

As consistent galloper Bunker Hut nears the double figure club when it comes to second placings, trainer Michael Freedman is banking on a rise in trip to work in his favour at Rosehill on Saturday.

Trainer Michael Freedman

With eight seconds against his name, including all three starts this preparation, Bunker Hut is collecting some good prizemoney for his owners but entering frustrating territory.

Freedman said the TAB Handicap (1500m) presents an opportunity to have a throw at the stumps given he does have a 1600m win on his record.

“He’s been right around the money a few times now, I guess trying him up over 1500m is a bit of an experiment,’’ he said.

“He did win his maiden way back as a young horse over a mile.

"I think it’ll be trying to use his tactical speed to sit handy and seeing whether taking him up to 1500m with the sting out of ground might help him.”

A wide barrier may have brought Bunker Hut, $4 with TAB on Thursday, undone when he resumed at Kembla Grange as he was outpointed late by The Novelist.

He’s then suffered the anguish of looking the winner in his two runs at 1400m only to be ambushed by Perfect Thought at Randwick on December 14 then again by High Blue Sea two weeks later.

He’ll meet High Blue Sea, who isn’t proven on a wet track, 2.5kg better for that clash.

“First-up he sat four deep all the way and probably had to do a bit too much work and it told late,’’ Freedman said.

“The last two he’s just had something bob its head up at the right time, or wrong time for him.

“I’m just hoping the step up in distance might be the winning move.”

Bunker Hut's last win was a Midway in September 2023 but he's been placed in seven of 11 starts since then.

A small setback could be a blessing in disguise for Miss Fleetwood who makes her debut in the Chandon Handicap (1100m).

The filly was meant to go to the races in the Christmas-New Year period but Freedman had to pause and she’ll step out with the benefit of an extra trial on a heavy track.

“She’s only small and she’s by Extreme Choice, a lot of them do like the wet,’’ he said.

“I don’t have too many concerns about the track. She’s drawn a bit awkwardly out in nine, whether there’s a few come out once the track rating comes out Saturday we’ll see.

“She’s taken a bit of time to learn, she was slow out of the gates in her first two trials while the other day I thought she jumped well and the penny dropped a bit.

“I was very happy with the way she trialled and if she can get any luck from that draw she’ll make her presence felt.”

It’s been nine months since Wymark tackled the ATC Derby and Freedman couldn’t be happier with the decision to miss the spring.

The gelding won four races on end, from a Newcastle maiden to the Group 2 Tulloch Stakes, in the autumn and he said that campaign took its toll but has seen the benefits of the extended break.

While Freedman’s expectations are on the conservative side going into the Captivant @ Kia Ora Handicap (1300m) he’d like to see a positive return.

“We made the decision to have the whole spring off so he had a nice, long, three month spell which I think he really enjoyed,’’ he said.

Bunker Hut runs second at Randwick on December 28

“I’ve been very happy with him since he’s come back, his two trials have been very good, obviously 1300m is going to be short of his best distance.

“From where he’s drawn we’ll have to be conservative to ride him back and let him run on a bit.

“I’d be more than happy if he made up a nice bit of ground and gave us encouragement to step up to something more suitable after that.”

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