Trainer Michael Freedman concedes launching Sires Produce winner Tiger Of Malay's spring campaign with 61kgs at Kembla Grange is 'not ideal'.
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The now three-year-old colt returns off a 68-day break since finishing third in the Group 1 JJ Atkins at Eagle Farm in June with the Golden Rose a potential target.
As a result of the Covid-lockdown situation in Sydney, his first stop becomes the Illawarra Turf Club, which will host a 10-race card on Saturday, featuring the Group 3 Up And Coming Stakes.
Tiger Of Malay is a $2.60 favourite with James McDonald on board in the nine-horse field.
"It's not ideal having to lump 61kgs," Freedman told Sky Racing.
"(But) such is the conditions of the race, which I'm no sure why they are (that way), but anyway, it's a nice starting point for him.
"Hopefully we'll see him put in a nice performance.
"Whether he can lump that kind of weight, only time will tell, but we've set him on the right leg to head to some good options later in the spring."
One his rivals on Saturday, the Matthew Dunn-trained Subbteranean comes out of the same Brisbane winter carnival, having finished eighth behind Tiger of Malay in the Sires Produce and fifth in the Atkins.
If there's any doubt about Tiger Of Malay carrying the weight, Freedman had every confidence in him being fit enough for the first-up task, having also drawn the inside barrier.
"He retains good residual fitness from his campaign up in Queensland, where he had his last run in the mile," he said.
"Just having a look at how he trialled on Friday and how he came through, it just gave me confidence that his fitness is, you know, it's not screwed right down by any stretch, but he's certainly forward enough to run in a race like that first-up.
"The weight is more of a hinderance than fitness."
Still, Freedman said any question about whether to start Tiger Of Malay at Kembla Grange is answered by his impressive developing physique.
"He's a big, strong horse," Freedman said. "He's drawn a good draw, which hopefully will allow him to get a pretty economical run with James McDonald to ride, who's the best rider in Sydney. There's a lot things in his favour."
Tommy Berry, who rode Tiger Of Malay in the trial, will be plotting his downfall on Peter and Paul Snowden's Revivalist, who steps into black-type racing after breaking his Maiden at Newcastle in July.
"He was beaten last start by the tactics that we were weren't keen to adopt," Berry said. "But there was no speed in the race, so he found himself in unfamiliar circumstances in front."
Berry out to find True secret to success
It's been two years since True Detective took out the Group 3 Up And Coming Stakes.
On Saturday, he arrives at the same meeting, this time held at Kembla Grange, still chasing his next win on a Good track.
The now five-year-old gelding has saluted twice since on Heavy going, most recently in a Benchmark 94 at Rosehill during a winter campaign last year.
In the five runs following, True Detective has been among the placings on every occasions, but victory has eluded him.
"It's a little bit of a worry, when you haven't seen him win for a while, but he's been in very competitive races," Berry told Sky Racing. "His run in the Winter Stakes was nice behind Bandersnatch, it was on a Heavy track and the start before in the Civic was very similar."
Berry has a plan though to make the long-awaited breakthrough, by trailing Bjorn Baker pair Frosty Rocks and Fun Fact into the race in the 1400m Spring Preview Handicap.
"They're two horses that like to control the speed and one is drawn inside me, one's drawn outside me," he said.
"So we should get a nice cart across with those two runners and he can settle in the first four and switch off.
"He's a horse with a good turn of foot on his day and once again, he gets in with the light weight of 53.5kg.
"I don't think there's much between this field, I think he'll be very competitive."
Frosty Rocks is a $3 favourite, with Order Again and Oscar Zulu at $5.50 and True Detective at $6.
Order Again was third behind Bandersnatch and True Detective in the Civic Stakes last start.
Parker primed for Winx Stakes
Kerry Parker's Group 1 winner Think It Over is ready to match motors with superstar mare Verry Elleegant again when he resumes in the Winx Stakes.
The six-year-old gelding produced an enormous run last time out, running to within a length of Chris Waller's top-line talent when she ran second to British bulldog Addeybb in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes over 2000m.
Four months later and Verry Elleegant will take on Think It Over again first-up over 1400m next week, after winning a trial at Kembla Grange on Wednesday.
Once viewed as a potential stayer, Think It Over has proven his credentials over shorter distances, winning the Group 3 Liverpool City Cup before claiming the George Ryder Stakes over 1500m, as well as running third in The Gong last year over a mile.
"You don't need to question him, he's very genuine," Parker told Sky Racing.
"He gets out and has a dig, it doesn't matter what the competition he's against. He's ticking all the boxes."
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