Michael Freedman is putting a positive spin on Forbidden Love’s run of misfortune with barriers, hopeful the mare is simply getting the bad ones out of the way before the major races roll around.
The four-year-old drew 15 of 16 when she rattled home for fourth in the Toy Show Quality and has gate nine of 11 in Saturday’s Group 2 Sheraco Stakes (1200m) at Kembla Grange.
“Hopefully we’ll get some of these bad draws out of the way early,” Freedman said.
“We’re probably going to have to take our medicine a bit from that wide gate and be a bit conservative early where she can find a spot with some cover and just be hitting the line strongly.
“I daresay, just looking at that race, we’ll have to ride her a bit similar to how she was ridden first-up.”
Barrier angst aside, Freedman is buoyed by how well Forbidden Love has returned this preparation.
She signalled her quality with a Group 1 placing as a spring three-year-old then returned in the autumn to capture the Surround Stakes.
She was far from disgraced in the Doncaster Mile when she finished seventh to Cascadian, and while connections have earmarked The Invitation as a goal, Randwick’s spring feature mile is also an option.
“If she runs a good race on Saturday, we’d most likely head towards the Golden Pendant and from there have a think about it,” Freedman said.
“I wouldn’t completely rule out the Epsom just yet. We’ve kept her in the entries there.
“She has only had the one run with the light weight in the Doncaster and she was the first here-year-old home in that race and probably after going a bit too early.”
The Group 2 Golden Pendant (1400m) is on September 25 with the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) a week later.
– RAS NewsWire
