Anthony and Sam Freedman have opted to slightly lower their sights with Point Barrow this weekend, though it’s important to note this doesn’t mean their lofty ambitions for the explosive mare have diminished.
The four-year-old mare continues her path towards a potential start in the $3 million Group 1 Champions Sprint (1200m) at Flemington on November 7, with her next engagement being the $240,000 Group 3 Northwood Plume Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.
The father-son training team had initially considered the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes (1100m) on the same day for her. However, they experienced a late change of heart and decided to keep the last-start Group 3 How Now Stakes winner at the 1200m distance and competing against her own sex.
“She was always going to the Schillaci and then we just threw a nom in for the mares’ race and it’s probably come in a little bit more suitable,” Sam Freedman commented.
“It was obviously good to get her back in the game (last start), because the Moir was a bit of a non-event.
“She’s right back on track. We want to get her to the Sprint on the last day, so if she’s going to be a factor in that she’ll want to be winning on Saturday.”
The daughter of Blue Point enhanced her Caulfield record to three wins from five starts in the How Now Stakes. This performance followed an eleventh-place finish when resuming in the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m), where she was out the back for the entire race.
Point Barrow has been allocated the second-widest gate and carries 58kg in Saturday’s 14-horse set-weights-and-penalties race. However, Freedman suggested that favourable conditions, which are predicted, will be essential to seeing her perform at her best between now and race day.
The Caulfield track was rated a Soft 6 when acceptances were finalised.
“She needs Good ground, she doesn’t handle Soft or Heavy,” Freedman stated.
“She needs a little bit to go right, but she can offset a bit of bias because she’s always going to finish off really strong, and her record at Caulfield’s very good.
“I’m confident she’s flying along and should hold her form now for the rest of the spring.”
Mark Zahra, who partnered Point Barrow to her most recent victory, will again be in the saddle for the Northwood Plume Stakes.
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