3 minute read

Classy Japanese import Ambitious will attempt to defy history and the handicapper in Friday’s $180,000 Albury Gold Cup.

The Anthony Freedman-trained galloper will have to set a modern day weight carrying record under 62kg to win the richest country cup race in NSW.

Freedman was looking for options for Ambitious after he was forced to scratch the classy stayer from last Saturday’s Rosehill meeting in Sydney due to the heavy track.

He had the option of running Ambitious in Saturday’s $300,000 Mornington Cup but came down in favour of the Commercial Club Albury Gold Cup (2000m) despite the big handicap.

Melbourne stayer Hofmeister set the modern day weight record for the Albury Cup when he carried 61kg to win under Damien Oliver in 2007.

The Gai Waterhouse/Adrian Bott trained Supply And Demand carried 62kg last year when he finished second to the lightly weighted Willi Willi.

Ambitious is yet to win in eight starts for Freedman but boasts an impressive record in Group races in Japan and Australia.

He was a multiple Group winner in Japan including a win over the champion Kitasan Black in a Group 2 over 2000m and has twice been Group 1 placed in Australia in last year’s Tancred Stakes (2400m) at Rosehill and the Doomben Cup (2000m) in Brisbane.

The query against him in the Albury Cup is his race fitness as he tackles the Listed Race second up after resuming with an eighth behind Avilius in the G2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on February 23.

Anthony Freedman is attempting to add to his family’s strong record in the Albury Cup.

He was the co-trainer with his brother Lee Freedman of the 2016 winner Tom Melbourne and also prepared the 2017 runner-up Cool Chap in his own right.

Lee Freedman also trained the 1989 Albury Cup winner Abstraction and also finished third with Speed Gifted in 2011.

James Winks will be having his first ride on Ambitious, one of only three horses weighted above the minimum weight of 54kg in the Albury Cup.

The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Emperor's Way (Glyn Schofield) will carry 6.5kg less than the topweight with 55.5 kg and Almost Court, last year’s Canberra Cup winner, has 55kg.

The Snowden team are seeking their first Albury Cup win and have Emperor’s Way nicely placed after his last start third in the Listed Randwick City Stakes (2000m) on March 9 behind Hiyaam and Shraaoh.

Gai Waterhouse is aiming for her first Albury Cup victory with the lightly-raced Taikomochi after his last start second in the Canberra Cup (2000m) on March 10.

Adam Hyeronimus retains the ride on Taikomochi after James Innes was mistakenly announced as his rider by the Waterhouse stable earlier in the week.

Ciaron Maher and David Eustace will have their first Albury cup runner with Thunder Cloud and the Hayes/Dabernig stable from Lindsay Park are represented represented by the UK import Valac.

Valac and Thunder Cloud put in solid Albury Cup trials when they filled the placings behind Hang Man over 2000m at Flemington on March 9.

David Hayes is looking for his third Albury Cup win after previous successes with Growl and Extra Zero.

Glyn Schofield and fellow Sydney jockey Christian Reith will be riding in their first Albury Cup.

Reith, who will partner the Barbara Joseph-trained Almost Court, is on a high after winning last Saturday’s Coolmore Classic at Rosehill on Dixie Blossom.