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By Ray Hickson

Is Tropicus the dark horse in the Group 1 $1m James Squire Golden Rose (1400m)?

Sam Freedman (Pic: Grant Guy).

Co-trainer Sam Freedman, who prepares with father Anthony, is happy to make the case that the colt’s two Sydney runs this spring have been more than acceptable given some unfavourable set ups but said on RSN he’ll have no excuses at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

He’s conceded hefty starts in both the San Domenico Stakes and Run To The Rose from awkward barriers but was only beaten 3-1/4 and 2-3/4 lengths by Storm Boy and Traffic Warden respectively.

“His sectionals have been excellent in both runs, he’s just not the finished article yet,’’ Freedman said.

“Hopefully Saturday the penny drops and he’s certainly not far off the ones at the head of the market.

“He’s drawn a gate finally which we’ve been missing in a couple of runs so far. We put the winkers on him, he’s done a bit of work in them just to narrow his focus a touch.

“He’s a funny horse, he raced in patches the other day where he got a bit keen. He got into a rhythm and eventually worked it out, then he was a bit wayward down the straight as well.”

Freedman said Tropicus, $26 with TAB on Wednesday, shouldn’t be giving away as much start now he’s up to 1400m and has drawn in the middle of the field as opposed to the outside in his two runs back.

There’s a small unknown about a wet track but a jump out win and his pedigree give the stable some confidence that whatever the weather serves up he’ll handle.

“I remember being out at Werribee on a horrible Friday morning on a heavy 10 and he trialled very well down the outside rail,’’ he said.

“That’s the most exposure he’s had to a heavy track, I’d suspect the breed generally handle it given Broadsiding is by Too Darn Hot as well.

“There’s obviously good speed, I’d envisage being midfield or something like that. I’d leave it up to Mark (Zahra) as to how close he will be.

“We don’t want to ride him out of his comfort zone but he’s going to be very strong at the end of 1400m.

“At his next two runs he’s primed to peak for us so we will see where he measures up to.”

Punch Lane let Freedman down with his failure in the Theo Marks two weeks ago but he has another chance to earn a TAB Epsom exemption in the Group 2 $300,000 Canadian Club Shannon Stakes (1500m).

The five-year-old has just 50.5kg in the Epsom and Freedman said there was some merit to his 2.7 length defeat after leading at his first run since July but knows he’s capable of better.

“He was a little disappointing, maybe, last start but he probably got pestered a little bit,’’ he said.

“He’s going to get conditions to suit with a wet track so we’re hopeful he can bounce back.”

Meanwhile, the Freedman stable’s Spring Champion Stakes contender Henlein will return to Sydney after contesting the Stutt Stakes at Moonee Valley on Friday night.

Tropicus' last start in the Run To The Rose

Henlein finished an eye-catching sixth in the Ming Dynasty (1400m) two weeks ago and Freedman said he will return for the Gloaming Stakes and Spring Champion Stakes.

“He’s definitely got all the attributes of being a nice middle distance horse as a three-year-old, mentally he’s still working it all out,’’ he said.

“We’re pretty sure he’s capable of getting to a high level in the 2000m, maybe mile and a half, races.”

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