Group 1-winning French import Place Du Carrousel is expected to be sharp enough to perform well in Saturday’s Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m), according to co-trainer Sam Freedman.
The mare, purchased by Portofino Bloodstock for €4.025 million at the end of her four-year-old season, now runs in the Yulong silks.
She made a promising Australian debut in March, finishing second behind Via Sistina in the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m), but was a disappointing eighth in her only other appearance since the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m).
“I don’t want to say she’s been surprisingly sharp, because she’s a Group 1 winner obviously, but she’s showed good tactical speed and then we’ve also ridden her off the speed, and she’s shown a good turn of foot,” Freedman explained, who trains in partnership with his father Anthony.
“She’s obviously got form out to a mile-and-a-half, but to start off her prep, it wouldn’t shock at all to see her sharp enough to be very competitive on Saturday.
“We’d just be pleased to see her running into the first three or four.”
2024 Underwood Stakes Final Field
1. Vow And Declare (13)
- T: Danny O’Brien
- J: Billy Egan
- W: 59kg
- F: 5×140
- Age: 9YO
- Colour: Chestnut
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Declaration Of War (USA)
- Dam: Geblitzt
+850
2. Pericles (11)
- T: James Cummings
- J: Blake Shinn
- W: 59kg
- F: 13×27
- Age: 5YO
- Colour: Brown
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Street Boss (USA)
- Dam: Accessories (GB)
-200
3. Munhamek (1)
- T: Nick Ryan
- J: Jamie Mott
- W: 59kg
- F: 54611
- Age: 9YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Dark Angel (IRE)
- Dam: Cadenza (FR)
+400
4. Huetor (6)
- T: Peter Snowden
- J: Michael Dee
- W: 59kg
- F: x0451
- Age: 8YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Archipenko (USA)
- Dam: Briviesca (GB)
+700
5. Kovalica (12)
- T: Chris Waller
- J: Damian Lane
- W: 59kg
- F: 3×563
- Age: 5YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Ocean Park (NZ)
- Dam: Vitesse (NZ)
+160
6. Bois D’argent (4)
- T: Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald
- J: Ben Melham
- W: 59kg
- F: x3134
- Age: 8YO
- Colour: Grey
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Toronado (IRE)
- Dam: Madonna Lily (IRE)
+600
7. Fawkner Park (2)
- T: Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald
- J: Tyler Schiller
- W: 59kg
- F: x1311
- Age: 6YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Zoffany (IRE)
- Dam: Za’Hara (IRE)
+150
8. Buckaroo (10)
- T: Chris Waller
- J: Joao Moreira
- W: 59kg
- F: 18×65
- Age: 6YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Fastnet Rock
- Dam: Roheryn (IRE)
+110
9. Knight’s Choice (3)
- T: John Symons & Sheila Laxon
- J: Craig Williams
- W: 59kg
- F: x4324
- Age: 5YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Extreme Choice
- Dam: Midnight Pearl
+850
10. Duke De Sessa (8)
- T: Ciaron Maher
- J: Declan Bates
- W: 59kg
- F: 2557x
- Age: 6YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Gelding
- Sire: Lope de Vega (IRE)
- Dam: Dark Crusader (IRE)
+380
11. Place Du Carrousel (5)
- T: Anthony & Sam Freedman
- J: Mark Zahra
- W: 57kg
- F: x72x0
- Age: 6YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Mare
- Sire: Lope de Vega (IRE)
- Dam: Traffic Jam (IRE)
-125
12. Deny Knowledge (9)
- T: Anthony & Sam Freedman
- J: Jye McNeil
- W: 57kg
- F: x1204
- Age: 7YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Mare
- Sire: Pride of Dubai
- Dam: The Paris Shrug (GB)
+600
13. Coco Sun (7)
- T: Tony & Calvin McEvoy
- J: Jamie Kah
- W: 56kg
- F: 7×131
- Age: 4YO
- Colour: Bay
- Sex: Mare
- Sire: The Autumn Sun
- Dam: Miss Hufflepuff
+340
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