Freedman on same path to conquer Hill Stakes again with Attrition

Victorian trainer Mitchell Freedman believes he has found the key to success with Attrition and hopes it can lead to another upset win – and a handy consolation result in Sydney for his stable – in the $2 million Hill Stakes (1900m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

Attrition won the group 2 Hill Stakes last year as a $26 chance, towing the field up to breakaway leader Royal Patronage before holding off Kovalica by a neck in a gritty performance that netted almost half of his career prizemoney to date of $2.43 million.

Attrition wins the Hill Stakes last year with Beau Mertens aboard. Kerrin McEvoy takes the ride in Saturday’s defence.Credit: Getty Images

The six-year-old son of Churchill again hits the Hill Stakes fourth up on Saturday off a solid last-start effort in the group 2 Feehan Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley. He was best of the rest behind star pair Pride Of Jenni and Treasurethe Moment two weeks ago. The 2023 group 1 Toorak Handicap winner was fourth last year in the Feehan, again won by Pride Of Jenni.

Second up this time in, Attrition was third in the So You Think Stakes (1500m) and Freedman is pleased with how he is shaping up for his Hill Stakes defence.

“I think he’s in similar shape to what he was last year,” Freedman said. “We’ve been really happy with the preparation.

“He’s been a horse who’s seemed to have set up a pattern of really hitting the peak of his powers fourth up into a preparation, and we’ve hit that in this race purposely.”

Kerrin McEvoy, fresh off his group 1 Epsom Handicap win with Autumn Glow, picked up the ride on Attrition with regular jockey Beau Mertens staying in Melbourne. Having drawn barrier 12 of 14, Attrition is $16 with Sportsbet for the Hill Stakes.

Attrition wins the Toorak Handicap in 2023.Credit: Getty Images

“It’s a nice pick-up,” McEvoy said. “It won the race last year and obviously the horse is in good form. He’s a horse that can poke forward a bit, which will help offset that draw, and he looks a nice chance in an open edition of the race.”

Freedman said Attrition, which went on to finish fourth in the listed Five Diamonds at Rosehill last year, could stay for more feature races but would likely be his only runner during the Sydney spring carnival.

The Freedman-trained Skybird gained an Everest slot with Inglis but was injured in the Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley. Inglis then locked in another Victorian-based mare, the Grahame Begg-trained Magic Time, for the $20 million race on Saturday week at Randwick.

“We’re not 100 per cent sure yet whether she will be out for a while or whether we will see her again in the spring,” Freedman said of Skybird.

McEvoy has also picked up rides on Beskar in the group 3 Roman Consul and Willydoit in the $1.5 million Alan Brown Stakes.

The Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Beskar ($41) was third in the group 3 Kindergarten Stakes in his only Sydney appearance and was sixth first up in the listed McKenzie Stakes at Moonee Valley.

“I haven’t ridden the horse, but I just watched its last start, where it didn’t get around Moonee Valley,” McEvoy said.

“It hung out, so I think going this way might suit it. It looks like it’s got a bit of gate speed as well.

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“It’s drawn the outside in a very competitive race, but obviously the stable have an opinion of him to line him up in this.”

The Ciaron Maher-prepared Willydoit ($12) was a late scratching from the Epsom Handicap last week at Randwick with an eye injury and will run at Rosehill.

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