A significant amount of time and distance has elapsed since Skybird last visited the winner’s enclosure.

That last victory occurred on a rain-soaked Flemington track when the mare, prepared by Mitch Freedman, captured the Group 1 Lightning Stakes over 1000 metres.

Freedman is hoping for similar conditions as Skybird heads to Sandown on Saturday to contest the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m), a race that has been shifted from Moonee Valley due to the track’s ongoing transformation.

The Moir Stakes, now being staged at Sandown, offers a different dynamic compared to a 1000m race at Moonee Valley, a fact that Freedman is well aware of.

Skybird competed in the Moir last year, finishing sixth behind Baraqiel, a run where she encountered considerable traffic issues.

“Being at Sandown and not around The Valley, it changes the dynamics a bit, maybe not the field size and hopefully she can have a bit more luck than last year,” Freedman stated.

Following her Moir Stakes run, Skybird contested the Manikato Stakes, again at Moonee Valley. Her subsequent racing campaign was entirely interstate, taking in Adelaide, Brisbane, and Sydney.

Skybird’s most recent start was in the Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup at Eagle Farm in May.

“She’s come off a Brisbane campaign which is not something the stable has done before, but it’s amazing how quickly she has come up,” Freedman explained.

“She’s had the one trial, worked really well, and went to Caulfield during the week for another trip away from home.

“She’ll go first-up into the Moir and hopefully undo some of the wrongs from last year.

“Hopefully there is a bit of rain about in the lead-up and we can see her perform up to her best, because at her best, she’s right up there with the top sprinters in the land.

“She’s been beaten just over three-quarters-of-a-length by two superstars in Joliestar and Giga Kick, so she’s certainly around the mark on her day.”

Freedman indicated that he would not hesitate to travel Skybird again during this campaign.

“We’ll keep an eye on what races are coming up and when,” Freedman said.

“We know Victoria and New South Wales like to run big races at the same time, so if we have to swing one way, we know travel doesn’t affect her.

“She relishes the travel, so we’ll monitor if there’s a race that looks a little bit softer or there’s some (bad) weather coming that might allow us to get those soft track conditions, then we might take those opportunities.

“She’s pretty versatile and ticks a lot of boxes as to the courses she can race on and we’ve got her narrowed down now to 1000 to 1200 (metres), that’s about her and any sting out of the ground, she gets through it better than most.”

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