Anthony Freedman isn’t usually a fan of racing a horse three weeks in a row, but the prospect of a rain-affected track at Hawkesbury could persuade him to back up Punch Lane once again.
The five-year-old produced a brilliant performance to win Saturday’s Precise Air Handicap (1500m) at Randwick, crossing from a wide draw to lead early before dashing away to score by 4-1/4 lengths.
Bold Mac ($31) finished strongly to grab second, with Al Mubhir ($41), formerly trained by William Haggas and now with Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald, taking third another three-quarters of a length away.
It was a typically aggressive ride from Nash Rawiller, something Freedman said was a key reason for booking the experienced hoop.
“That’s why you use him. You get the unexpected,” Freedman said.
Punch Lane ($6) had shown glimpses of form in his earlier runs this campaign, including a fourth behind Sandpaper over 1400m at Randwick last week. However, Freedman suspected the gelding needed softer conditions than the soft 6 surface on Saturday to show his best.
“He has led before and won. I just thought he’d need it wetter,” Freedman said.
“We will see where we go. I might throw him in at Hawkesbury even because it will be wet, I think.
“Whether he can take three runs in a row, I don’t know, but I’ll probably nominate and see how we go.”
Rain is forecast in the Sydney area next week ahead of the Hawkesbury stand-alone meeting, where the Group 3 Hawkesbury Gold Cup (1600m) could be Punch Lane’s next assignment.
Rawiller admitted he hadn’t intended to lead on Punch Lane but opted not to fight the horse’s natural enthusiasm early on.
“There was no stopping him. He was already full of running,” Rawiller said.
“It wasn’t really until we cleared Rachel (King on Queues Likely) and got two in front that he pricked his ears and gave himself a bit of a rest. From that point he was able to give a really good kick.”
Freedman, who trains alongside son Sam, also had Beskar set to race in the opener at Randwick, but the colt was scratched on Saturday morning due to mucus being detected in his throat.
The Group 3-placed two-year-old will be monitored before a decision is made about whether to continue with his current campaign, although Freedman indicated that if Beskar does race on, he would head to Queensland.