After having no other choice but to sit through an unplanned holiday, handy galloper Nandowra is finally back racing when he lines up in tonight's 1600m Open race on Polytrack to hopefully give trainer Michael Freedman a better idea where he is headed next.
The Savabeel four-year-old has not raced since his fighting first-up win in a Progress race over 1400m on January 13, but it was not through lack of fitness or health reasons that he had stayed in his box all this while.
The four-time winner, who is named after a rural road in New South Wales in Australia, just could not get a run despite being entered several times by Freedman following his last-start success.
A berth in Friday's race (where he is handicapped at 58kg in a field made up of the likes of Power Blitz, My Friend Jo and Iluminado) will not only keep the cobwebs at bay, but will also serve as a gauge to his future prospects, which may include the upcoming Group 3 Polytrack Mile Championship (1600m) on March 11.
“It was not by design that he has not raced for a while,” said Freedman.
“I've entered him three times, but the races were cancelled due to a lack of runners.
“His fitness level seems good, though. He had a nice gallop with Joao (Moreira) this morning.
“From a future perspective, the Polytrack Mile Championship is a race we have got in mind for him, but Friday's race will give us a better indication if he can measure up.”
Nandowra is not without black type experience having raced notably in the Singapore Three-Year-Old Challenge, but he was well beaten by El Dorado in last November's Group 1 Singapore Gold Cup (2200m), a race his owners, the Results Stable, captured with Risky Business the previous year.
Also running for Freedman tonight will be another one from his slew of emerging sorts, Chateauneuf Dupape, a winner at debut but who found one better second-up following a bumping duel with the winner Riezo, which prompted his rider Moreira to lodge a protest for alleged interference, but without success.
The Darci Brahma three-year-old, who raced at Group level in New Zealand after an initial stint in Australia, faces the starter in the Class 4 race over 1200m on Polytrack with Freedman toying with the idea of a change in headgear.
“I may take the blinkers off him for Friday, just so he can relax a little more,” said Freedman.
“Joao (who has ridden him at both runs) seems to agree on that point.
“He can travel a bit keen, especially as he didn't race with any cover at both starts. I think that took something away from his finish.
“He didn't race with blinkers in Australia anyway, only in New Zealand. He seems to be a more tractable horse now and I think he should go well without them here.”
On Sunday, Freedman looks to have another good hand of runners, among whom Masthead will arguably be the main drawcard. The debuting three-year-old oozes class as borne out by his third place in last year's Blue Diamond Stakes and fourth place in last year's Golden Slipper - both behind Darley's Sepoy - as a two-year-old.
After scoring a barrier trial win on February 14, the Written Tycoon colt gave another glimpse of his ability with a solid second to Rocket Man in a trial on Tuesday, a performance that should put him in the realm of ultra-short odds when he steps out in a modest Graduation race over 1000m on Polytrack.
“I'm pretty happy with his trial, especially to run second to Rocket Man,” said Freedman. “He looks fit and ready for his racing debut.”
The Singapore star sprinter, who had race-jockey Barend Vorster aboard in his third barrier trial (he has won all but the last one run in 58.98 seconds was easily the most impressive) since his unsuccessful Hong Kong Sprint raid last December, is making his racing comeback in Sunday's Kranji Stakes A race over 1200m on Polytrack carrying the top impost of 59.5kg.
“He's getting better and better with every hitout,” said Vorster.
“He was all fired up today and went along at a good clip.
“I took him down the middle in the home straight, just to get away from the shadow at the winning post. He stretched out really nicely and is spot-on for his comeback race on Sunday.”
The 18-time winner then heads to Dubai for another tilt at the same race he won last year, the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen (1200m) on Dubai World Cup night on March 31.
Freedman is also busy keeping an eye on his own four-horse team who are having a crack at the rich pickings of the Dubai Racing Carnival.
The Australian conditioner was actually not around to lead in his only winner from last weekend's racing, Mr Raffles (Friday) as he was still in Dubai to be on hand for Better Be The One's (seventh) and Cash Luck's (sixth) runs on Thursday night. After being well placed in the running, both gallopers unfortunately weakened out to finish out of the placings.
“Some people said they were not good enough, but I think they both ran satisfactorily,” said Freedman.
“But they were probably down on how I expected them to run first-up.
“(Travelling foreman) James (Peters) said they were bucking their brands off before the race, but they did not quite run to expectations.
“I was expecting Better Be The One to run well but he did not quite ping while I think it was always difficult for a three-year-old like Cash Luck to carry so much weight, especially when he is up in scale against Northern Hemisphere-bred horses.
“He (Cash Luck) didn't begin all that well either and also took a check when he tried to improve from the back. Anyway, they have both come through their runs fine and were bouncing around the next day.
“I'll have a think about where they go next. I was planning to run both of them on Super Saturday on March 10, but I may only run Cash Luck now – in a 3YO race over 1900m on the All-Weather.
“Better Be The One was meant to run in the Meydan Sprint, but I don't think he really needs the run to be geared up. He would also have to carry 59kg again, just like last Thursday.
“I will have a rethink and probably aim him specifically at the Al Quoz Sprint (in which he ran third last year) on March 31 instead.”
