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By Ray Hickson

Spring hasn’t agreed with classy mare Forbidden Love since she was three but trainer Michael Freedman says the platform is there for her to fire in Saturday’s $2m The Invitation (1400m) at Royal Randwick.

Trainer Michael Freedman

Forbidden Love emerged in the spring of 2020 but it’s fair to say she went missing last year with a third behind Icebath in the inaugural Invitation her best result.

Her three Group 1 wins have all come in the autumn but Freedman said after a solid return from a freshen up off a wide alley in last week’s Sydney Stakes (1200m) and with barrier two, an in-form Blake Shinn to ride, and a wet track she has conditions to suit her on Saturday.

“The draw is a big plus compared to last week where she had to do a fair amount of work from that wide gate,’’ he said.

“I thought it was by far her best run this preparation. She had to work for the first half of the race to find a spot, I think Kerrin (McEvoy) did a great job getting her into the spot he did, so to only get beaten a couple of lengths is a good effort.

“An inside draw, and the likelihood of some sort of a rain affected track for her it sets up nicely so we will see how she goes.

“Back against fillies and mares, to her pet distance of 1400m, it sets up well for her.”

Freedman sent the five-year-old to his Hawkesbury base for a freshen up after she failed to fire in the Missile Stakes and Winx Stakes in August – she wasn’t disgraced in either but certainly wasn’t at the level we’ve come to expect.

Any talk of an Everest slot went quiet and The Invitation was seen as an ideal target.

He said exactly why Forbidden Love, $6.50 with TAB on Thursday, hasn’t been at her best this spring and last is something he can’t quite work out.

“It’s one of the great mysteries with some fillies and mares, they don’t perform at some time of the year as well as others and she might be one of them,’’ he said.

“Clearly she was going a lot better in the autumn with the races she was able to win.

“I was quite encouraged by last Saturday’s performance and she seems to have come out of it well.

"If she can get back to somewhere near her autumn form she’ll be in that race up to her ears.”

There’s no conceding the Group 2 $1m TAB Callander-Presnell (1600m) to Group 1 winner Golden Mile and Freedman is expecting the lightly raced Communist to step up to his biggest test.

The gelding was a fast-finishing second behind Williamsburg, one of the Spring Champion favourites, in the Dulcify over the Randwick mile three weeks ago.

Forbidden Love's run in the Sydney Stakes

“I have a lot of respect for Golden Mile being a Caulfield Guineas winner but this sets up as quite a different race,’’ Freedman said.

“A mile at Randwick is a very different mile to Caulfield.

"I’m happy with my bloke going into it, the three week gap is good for him and I was very happy with his work on Monday.”

Of his other runners, Freedman said Bunker Hut will be ridden a shade quieter in the Group 1 $2m Moet & Chandon Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) with the blinkers off from his midfield finish in the Gloaming while Insurrection earned a shot at the Listed Grainshaker Brian Crowley Stakes (1200m) with his last start win.

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