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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Michael Freedman is hoping to salvage something from a spring that didn’t go to plan for Group 1 winner Communist in Saturday’s $1 million Illawarra Mercury Gong (1600m) at Kembla Grange.

Trainer Michael Freedman (Pic: Bradley Photos).

The Randwick Guineas winner didn’t fire in his first three runs this spring, despite Freedman’s efforts to mix things up, but showed a glimpse of his best with a gallant performance at $201 in the $10 million James Squire Golden Eagle.

Communist, $17 with TAB on Thursday, was five weeks between runs when only beaten 2-3/4 lengths by Obamburumai and Freedman hopes he can back it up.

“He had been a little below standard prior to that run but with the blinkers going on it was by far and away his best run for some time,’’ he said.

“Under the circumstances where he was posted wide, attacking the leaders at the top of the straight, I thought he did a great job to hang on as long as he did at that level.”

Golden Eagle form has proven a handy reference for The Gong - last year Hope In Your Heart came through her fourth at Rosehill to be narrowly beaten by Riodini while Count De Rupee followed his second in the Eagle with a popular Kembla win in 2021.

Freedman said the barrier draw has given jockey Rachel King the chance to give the four-year-old a more economical run than he’s been used to this time in.

“Hopefully he can find a nice spot somewhere in the first half dozen with a bit of cover,’’ he said.

“If he can reproduce a similar type of run to the Golden Eagle, in what looks a reasonably open race, he has the ability to be competitive in a race like that.”

Insurrection faces a different scenario to what he’s been used to as he jumps from an inside barrier in the $300,000 The Warra (1000m).

The gelding hasn’t drawn closer than nine in his last five starts and while he was able to overcome it to post three wins on end in the winter it brought him undone when he returned with a fourth behind Hard To Say in the Choisir on Big Dance day.

“It was a pretty tough run, he got posted three deep without cover which made it pretty tough,’’ Freedman said.

“I thought he stuck on well under the circumstances and he seems to have bounced through it well.”

Zac Lloyd, who is unbeaten in three rides on Insurrection, is back on board at Kembla and Freedman said with a lot of speed on paper he should have options to find some cover if it’s needed.

“If there’s a couple hell bent on leading he can take a sit behind them,’’ he said.

“His wide draws have dictated that he’s more or less had to roll across and lead because we haven’t had too many options.

Communist's run in the Golden Eagle

“I can’t see any reason why won’t be effective. He’s a horse that likes to be on speed somewhere but I don’t think that necessarily means he has to lead.

"It potentially sets up nicely for him.”

The plan for Insurrection is to follow the summer sprint series beyond his second-up assignment.

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