Queensland an option for Kiwi galloper

Breednet - Thursday May 21

A Group One assignment in Queensland is in the offing for talented three-year-old Not An Option if he performs well at Randwick on Saturday.

Owned by a prominent group of New Zealand racing and breeding identities, including Cambridge Stud principals Brendan and Jo Lindsay, Not An Option will have his first start for new trainers Richard and Michael Freedman in the Darley 2YO Handicap (1300m).

The son of Not A Single Doubt has been lumped with the topweight of 60kg but his trainers are confident of a solid showing after his 1040m trial placing at Randwick last week.

Not An Option is on a path towards the Gr.1 JJ Atkins (1400m) in Brisbane next month. Photo: Race Images

“It was a good trial,” Michael Freedman said. “He got back and made up a nice bit of ground.

“It looks a nice race on Saturday albeit he will be carrying a bit of weight. We will just have to see what the track comes up, but with forecast rain we are probably going to be in the heavy range, which may not be ideal carrying that weight.

“It is a fair bit of weight to carry, but he seems to be going well.”

The Freedman brothers have also elected to make a gear change ahead of Saturday.

“He has got the blinkers going on on Saturday because he looks a horse that might appreciate getting the blinkers just to sharpen him up a little bit,” Freedman said.

He will have the services of leading Sydney jockey James McDonald and jump from barrier six.

Not An Option had two runs over the Sydney Autumn Carnival for former trainer Tony Pike, but was in the care of the Freedman stable with Pike’s staff returning home to New Zealand as a result of COVID-19 travel restrictions.

Advertisement

He ran third first-up in the Gr.3 Kindergarten Stakes (1100m) before finishing sixth in the Gr.1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) and Freedman was happy enough with both runs.

“He came over and we looked after him for Tony Pike due to the whole coronavirus situation,” Freedman said. “Once he was going to stay on and race, the stewards deemed that he had to stay in a trainers name over here.

“His run in the Champagne was good. He didn’t get a whole lot of luck and arguably could have finished a little bit closer than what he did.

“But his form right through since he has been over here seems to have been pretty good without a great deal of luck.

“He is a nice, big, strong colt. He is well put together, he is pretty typical of the stallion.”

TAB bookmakers have installed Not An Option as a $5 third favourite in Saturday’s contest behind the Chris Waller-trained Overlord ($3.40) and undefeated colt Peltzer ($3.50).

He is earmarked to head north to Queensland after this weekend where he will target the Gr.1 JJ Atkins (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 6.

“If he runs well enough on Saturday then there would be the possibility that he would go up to the JJ Atkins in Brisbane,” Freedman said.

Not An Option was purchased out of Curraghmore’s 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale Book 1 draft by Tony Pike, for whom he won two of his four starts in New Zealand, including the Gr.2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) and was runner-up in the Gr.2 Eclipse Stakes (1200m). – NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
Pedigree Watch – Juvenile Stakes-Winners
Three new season juvenile stakes races on Saturday produced a $1million yearling purchase that gave Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside the perfect start to his stud career, a pinhook winner turned stakes-winner and a colt foaled in Australia with a Kiwi pedigree.
Surprise Bart Cummings Victory Secures Valiant King Melbourne Cup Run
It’s not often you see a runner from the Chirs Waller stable go around at 50/1 odds, but 6yo gelding Valiant King (GB) produced an outstanding effort to win Saturday’s $350,000 Group 3 VRC Bart Cummings (2520m) at Flemington, securing himself a run in this year’s $10m Gr1 VRC Melbourne Cup (3200m).
G1 Metrop Win for Australian Bloodstock
Second in the Italian Derby at three, progressive stayer Royal Supremacy (IRE) had racked up multiple Group placings in Europe before his sale to Australian Bloodstock and broke through for his first ever stakes win when taking out the $750,000 Group I ATC The Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick on Saturday.
McGaw Firms For Coolmore Stud Stakes After G2 Danehill Win
Considered an outside chance in betting markets, Emma-Lee and David Browne’s I Am Immortal gelding McGaw dented the reputation of a few leading Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes contenders with a fighting win in the $300,000 Gr2 VRC Danehill Stakes (1100m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Cambridge Stud Celebrate a Flemington Winner
Not An Option relished the Good 4 surface presented at Flemington on Saturday, with a strong win in the Brian Beattie Handicap (1420m).
Sensational Seven - Autumn Glow Remains Unbeaten With G1 Epsom Victory
Chasing her first Group 1 victory and in the process attempting to remain unbeaten, outstanding 4yo mare Autumn Glow did all that and more, jumping from the outside barrier to give Chris Waller his sixth victory in the $1.5m Group 1 ATC Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Briasa Wins $1million G2 Premiere Stakes- Everest Next
Twin Hills Stud’s Smart Missile will have a runner in the $20million The Everest and his explosive grey sprinter Briasa will be going into the race in top form following an exciting win at Randwick on Saturday in  the $1million Group I ATC Premiere Stakes (1200m).
Apocalyptic Crowned Darley Princess with G1 Flight Victory
Extreme Choice filly Apocalyptic has been the dominant force in the Darley Princess Series this year and she claimed the jewel in the crown at Randwick on Saturday with a commanding win in the $750,000 Group I ATC Flight Stakes (1600m).
Not An Option Surprises in Hareeba Stakes
After 76 weeks in the wilderness, Brendan and Jo Lindsay's Not A Single Doubt gelding Not An Option was back in the winner's stall following Saturday's Listed Hareeba stakes at Mornington.
War Machine Stakes Everest Claim - G2 Gilgai
David Hayes has a New Zealand-bred superstar heading into the A$20 million Gr.1 The Everest (1200m) in two weeks, where his sons Ben, Will and JD Hayes might line up against him with a Kiwi-bred Group One winner of their own.