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By Ray Hickson

If talented filly Blanc De Blanc is to make it into next week’s Golden Slipper then she’ll have to do it the hard way but as trainer Michael Freedman says she knows no other way at the moment.

Trainer Michael Freedman (Pic: Bradley Photos).

Since her debut win the two-year-old has endured tough runs from wide gates only to go down by less than a length in the Inglis Nursery, Inglis Millennium and Sweet Embrace Stakes.

She’s amassed over $475,000 in prizemoney but because most of that has come in sales restricted races she’s 50th in the order of entry so to back up in the Slipper she must win the Group 3 $200,000 Tresemme Magic Night Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

Unfortunately for Blanc De Blanc the barrier gods are going to make her earn it.

“It has been amazing to think since her first start in a four horse field her next four runs, including Saturday, she’s just drawn these horribly wide gates,’’ Freedman said.

“We’re just going to hope she gets a run that gives her every chance and if she’s able to win her way into the Slipper then fingers crossed she comes through it all right.

“While backing up a week later is probably not the most conventional way I’d go about it, it’s certainly not insurmountable.”

Despite James McDonald’s best efforts to get cover in the Sweet Embrace, Blanc De Blanc was forced to race four wide but had the guts to challenge for the lead at the 100m only to be swamped by Lazzago while Facile kicked back to claim second.

“She jumped and through no fault of James the draw saw to it that she was four deep all the way with no cover and she did a great job to finish as close as she did,’’ Freedman said.

“It was a run full of merit but it meant because she didn’t win that ballot exempt race we had to go to the Magic Night.”

It’s rare for a filly to come through a win in the Magic Night and take out the Slipper but Kiamichi achieved that feat in 2019.

Blanc De Blanc was $3.70 with TAB on Thursday in the Magic Night while she’s a $26 chance in Slipper betting.

“In the two-year-old ranks I have no doubt she has the quality to be very competitive in the Slipper if she can get there,’’ Freedman said.

“She’s going to need to hope for a bit of luck in running where she can at least get a half decent run in transit.”

Stablemate Madeira Sunrise is dual accepted for the Magic Night and Sunday’s Black Opal at Canberra and while the latter is her destination Freedman said he expects her to improve on a shock second-up failure.

The filly won the Listed Lonhro Plate on debut but failed to beat one home in the Silver Slipper last month.

“She got herself really worked up that particular day and she more or less melted before the race so I wouldn’t read too much into it,’’ he said.

“I thought her first-up run in the Listed race was a good win. If she held it together better in either race she could turn it around a bit.”

Freedman isn’t predicting an upset by Daytona in the Group 2 $250,000 Chandon Phar Lap Stakes (1500m) but says on his best a top three or four finish is achievable.

Blanc De Blanc runs third in the Sweet Embrace

The gelding came from near last to be beaten 1.7 lengths by Elliptical in the CS Hayes Stakes at Flemington three weeks ago and Freedman said that run was pleasing but the Phar Lap has come up stronger than he expected.

“It’s probably unrealistic on facts and figures to think he’d be good enough to beat a filly like Zougotcha but he’s very genuine,’’ he said.

“He’s had a freshen up out at the Hawkesbury stable and I’ve changed things up a bit.”

Chris Waller has made the Phar Lap the realm of high class fillies in recent years winning six of the last eight with Winx (2015), Foxplay (2017), Unforgotten (2018), Verry Elleegant (2019), Funstar (2020) and Hungry Heart (2021) with Zougotcha favoured to join that list.

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