Rails Run: Communist ready to make the jump to wfa star

Trainer Michael Freedman maintains Communist is well-equipped to make the often difficult transition from classic-winning season to be competitive at weight-for-age as a four-year-old.

Freedman’s theory will be tested immediately when Communist makes his new-season debut in the Group 1 $1 million Winx Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

The talented Communist demonstrated his quality last season defeating Lindermann in the Group 1 Randwick Guineas but it was his next start when sixth to Anamoe in the George Ryder Stakes that gives Freedman confidence in the gelding’s ability to be competitive against the elite at weight-for-age this season.

“It is always a bit of a guessing game when they come off good seasons at three and return in the spring as four-year-olds,’’ Freedman said.

“But Communist had one go at weight-for-age as a three-year-old and it was one of the best runs of his career to be beaten about a length by Anamoe in the Ryder.

“You are always unsure how they will measure up as four-year-olds but we can take a lot of encouragement from his Ryder run.’’

Communist is one of 13 individual Group 1 winners in the Winx Stakes field but such is the depth of quality in the race that Freedman’s gelding is rated only a $51 chance in latest TAB Fixed Odds betting behind $4.20 favourite Zaaki.

Freedman expects Communist to be competitive as the gelding has trialled well in recent weeks and can handle soft-heavy tracks.

“We have given him two nice, soft trials behind Alligator Blood and he has come through them well,’’ Freedman said.

“Last preparation, we started him off at 1200m and, although he ran well, I felt he found it a touch sharp so 1400m is a slightly better distance for him.’’

Freedman said he is “keeping an open mind” on Communist’s likely spring campaign but conceded Randwick 1600m races like the Group 1 $1.5 million Epsom Handicap (September 30) and Group 1 $5 million King Charles III Stakes (October 14) and the $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill on November 4 are on his radar.

“Depending on how Communist goes at weight-for-age will depend on the path we take with him this spring,’’ the trainer said. “There are a lot of options for these good four-year-olds.’’

Freedman has a strong team of five runners for the first Group 1 meeting of the new season including Mumbai Muse in the Group 2 $300,000 Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) and Queen Of The Ball in the Group 3 $250,000 Toy Show Quality (1100m).

Both are returning after impressive Rosehill barrier trial wins last week — Mumbai Muse defeating older horses in her heat and Queen Of The Ball led all the way to beat champion sprinter Nature Strip.

“I’ve always had a good opinion of Mumbai Muse and she was great in her trial,’’ the trainer enthused.

“We stopped her early in the autumn and gave her a nice, long spell and she has returned bigger and stronger.

“Queen Of The Ball also had her autumn program curtailed a bit early as she had a growth in her throat that we were trying to manage but needed to get tidied up. She also had a long spell and it has made the world of difference to her, she is a very happy mare and both her trials have been excellent.

“If we get on to some genuine dry tracks this spring, she is a very talented mare and we will keep The Everest as a possibility if it looks like she is up to it.’’

Freedman’s other runners also look hard to beat with Backrower resuming in the Midway Handicap (1200m) and the in-form Time To Boogie continuing his consistent winter campaign in the ACY Securities Handicap (1200m).

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Eduardo, Sydney’s ageless 10-year-old sprinter, showed his usual natural brilliance to win his 807m barrier trial in fast time at Warwick Farm on Friday morning.

The Joe Pride-trained Eduardo led throughout under Nash Rawiller to win his heat by one-and-half lengths from the promising Kibou.

Pride said Eduardo, who has contested the last three runnings of The Everest, is on track to resume in the Group 3 $1 million Concorde Stakes (1100m) at Royal Randwick on September 2.

The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Converge and Hawaii Five Oh showed they were on target to be major players this spring finishing third and fifth respectively in their trial behind the Pride-trained Rainbeil.

Converge showed surprising speed to share the early lead and wasn’t tested in the sprint to the line while Hawaii Five Oh was ridden conservatively and was last into the straight but noticeably lengthened stride and ran through the line strongly without being put under any pressure.

Earlier, top class mares Fireburn (fourth) and Hope In Your Heart (fifth) both ran solid trials behind Spirit Ridge in a 1207m trial.

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Some Sydney trainers are pushing for the Silver Shadow Stakes to be shortened to 1100m.

This would ensure a steady progression of race distances through until the series finale in the Flight Stakes and also provide an incentive for connections of speed fillies to remain in Sydney rather than be sent to Melbourne for races like the Quezette Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield.

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Boom colt King Colorado is attempting to become only the third three-year-old this century to win the Group 1 Winx (formerly Warwick) Stakes.

Trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, King Colorado is a last-start Group 1 winner of the JJ Atkins Stakes in June.

He was first emergency for the Winx Stakes but has secured a start with the scratching of Arapaho.

King Colorado is out to join Trusting (2009) and Lonhro (2001) as the only three-year-olds to win the Winx Stakes since Pablo’s Pulse scored a monumental boilover as a 500/1 outsider in 1987.

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Dual Doncaster Mile winner Mr Brightside is attempting to break a 50-year-old hoodoo in the Group 2 $300,000 PB Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

Mr Brightside is defending his Lawrence Stakes title but no horse has gone back-to-back in the weight-for-age sprint since Tauto in 1971-72.

But the Team Hayes-trained Mr Brightside is a $2.05 favourite to win the Lawrence Stakes again and take his career earnings to $8,422,137 which would rank him 14th on the all-time prizemoney list by Winx on $26,451,174.