Unbeaten colt Excellent Proposal may have earned himself a possible start in the Group 1 $1m Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on September 28.
Excellent Proposal, above, made it two wins from starts with his victory at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
Excellent Proposal made it two wins from two race starts when he arrived at the lucrative odds of $11 in the $125,000 Australian Turf Club 2yo Handicap (1400m) at Randwick last Saturday, leaving IN his wake the $2.45 favourite Mandela who was an unlucky fifth.
“He’s a promising colt, you can’t do much more than win your first two starts,’’ co-trainer Michael Freedman said.
“He’s still very raw and doing a few things wrong but he has a great attitude.
“We will have a think about it now but we might give him a bit of a freshen up now and look at some better races in the spring.’’
Jockey Brenton Avdulla admits that he had to change his pre-race plans when Excellent Proposal was slow to leave the barriers, but the Richard and Michael Freedman trained colt found top gear in the straight and stormed home to record a neck win over his nearest rivals.
“We didn’t think there was a lot of pace on paper so we expected Excellent Proposal to be right up there, possibly even in front,’’ Michael Freedman said.
“But he wasn’t the best to begin and ended up back in the field three-wide with cover.
“Brenton Avdulla is great rider and took the option to take a trail. I guess it is good for the colt’s education to take a sit and finish off the way he did.’’
Excellent Proposal is still regarded as one of the outsiders in the early betting for the Golden Rose Stakes at $41 with Ladbrokes.com.au while the Team Hawkes trained Exceedance has been installed as the $8 favourite.
Early betting for the 2019 Golden Rose Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $8 Exceedance, $11 Castlevecchio, Yes Yes Yes, $15 Cosmic Force, Kubrick, Microphone, Prince Fawaz, Tassort, $26 Accession, Bellevue Hill, Chenier, Dawn Passage, Flit, Funstar, Kiamichi, Loving Gaby, Lyre, Reloaded, Spend, Time To Reign, $34 Bivouac, Dubious, Erno, $41 Excellent Proposal, Shotmaker, Strasbourg, $51 or better the rest.
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