Co-trainer Lee Freedman is happy with the condition of Hazard heading into the 2015 Tattersall’s Tiara, but the Hall Of Fame trainer admits that he is worried by the prospect of a wet Gold Coast track on Saturday.
Hazard has recorded four wins from five starts this preparation, but she has raced exclusively on good tracks and she has missed the placings in her two previous starts on rain affected surfaces.
Freedman told Racing Ahead this morning that the chances of Hazard would be diminished if the Gold Coast track remains in the heavy eight range, but he is hopeful that the track will improve ahead of the 2015 Tattersall’s Tiara on Saturday.
“We are very pleased with her, but we are just a bit worried about the rain in Queensland and I don’t think that her form on soft ground is as good as her form on fast ground,” Freedman said.
“It is a heavy eight now and hopefully they get a bit of that warm winter sunshine and it can come back to something that is reasonable, but I will alert the punters now by saying that she is far better on top of the ground.”
While Freedman is unhappy about the potentially wet Gold Coast track, he has been thrilled with the form that Hazard has shown this preparation after she took out the Ern Jensen Funerals Handicap (1100m) at Caulfield on May 2, the Group 3 Proud Miss Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville on May 16 and the Group 2 Dane Ripper Stakes (1350m) at Doomben on June 6.
Freedman cannot fully explain the impressive improvement of Hazard this preparation, but he believes that her maturity has helped her develop into a legitimate Tattersall’s Tiara contender.
“I can’t put my finger on it, other than that she is a more mature mare and she has had little to no issues this time in,” Freedman said.
“She is a very strong mare, she takes her work well, she is a great eater and she enjoys her work.
“We started her out back in April pretty big in condition and she got away with that benchmark 90 race and she has just continued to improve and improve and improve.
“Now she has gone up to the Sunshine in Queensland, she has taken it to another level.
“We are really looking forward to this Saturday to test her against the absolute best.”
Freedman is chasing his first win in the Tattersall’s Tiara after previously missing the placings with Dane Julia (fifth in 2009), Perfect Promise (fifth in 2005) and Oceanfast (12th in 1999).