Freud the logical choice

Lydia Hislop13 April 2012

Jamie Spencer wasn't alone in being impressed by Freud when partnering him to a fast-finishing fifth in last Saturday's Dewhurst Stakes. Indeed, Mick Kinane appears swayed enough to replace him on the colt in tomorrow's Racing Post Trophy.

Nothing is ever definite - at least in public - when dealing with Aidan O'Brien-trained juveniles, but at the last count his retained jockey was set to ride Freud in Doncaster's Group One mile event ahead of stablemates, Darwin and Bonnard.

Truly, these three are the chosen ones. Their Ballydoyle yard originally entered 46 two-year-olds for this contest back in July at £275 a head, confirmed 32 of them in August for a further £275 each and had whittled that down to 21 at another £275 per horse by the start of this month.

A dozen of those were confirmed at the five-day stage for £275, giving us a grand total of £30,525 expended on entry fees alone - aside from travelling costs, jockeys' fees, etc - for these three colts to have a crack at the £105,000 first prize.

This isn't a one-off but the yard's routine, year-round approach to such races. Accountants - sharp intake of breath now, please.

Not only does such clinical indecision imply O'Brien could call upon any number of colts to embarrass our British trainers, it also hands bookmakers that merest whiff of uncertainty they use to excuse their failure to supply ante-post prices. Even Coral, usually so bold, has left the early price-market to Irish firm, Cashmans, alone.

Cashmans originally made Freud 11-2 - a point longer than Darwin and three points larger than their favourite, the Richard Hannontrained Tamburlaine. Knocked down in the rush yesterday, they now offer 5-2 about Kinane's intended. Any layer trading larger can expect a long queue.

Freud had only made it to a racecourse once before his Dewhurst fifth, when failing to justify runningscared odds of 1-5 by half a length. Despite that, it was a promising effort, but his latest Newmarket run represented massive improvement and hinted at even better to come.

Taken quietly to post and then awkward to load into the stalls, Freud's inexperience was always going to be exposed in such exalted company. He had little clue what was required in the first part of the race but then warmed to his task, keeping on strongly in the dying strides after the winner Tobougg sustained his first-run on the field.

It's interesting Freud appears again so quickly. He's lightly raced, progressive and, while he's only tackled good-to-soft going to date, his full brother Giant's Causeway handles all surfaces. He won the Group One Prix de la Salamandre at two before proving the toughest, most consistently top-class horse in training at three.

Tamburlaine provides a sturdy test for the quintuple Group One hero's young sibling. His second to Nayef at Newbury has been franked by the winner in no uncertain terms and he beat a useful colt six lengths in Painted Room at Newmarket last time. He's also considered first among many Guineas prospects in his yard.

O'Brien saddled the 1-2 with Aristotle and Lermontov last year and again has winand-place prospects. Darwin looked useful on his Curragh debut but hasn't run since finishing lame, the 4-9 favourite, behind stablemate Beckett in the National Stakes. Bonnard is a good each-way prospect as this step up to a mile will suit.

Cd Europe also has claims on his second to Dewhurst runner-up Noverre but hasn't yet proved he stays a mile. Grandera is progressing but his form can't be taken on face value.

Racing Post Trophy selections: 1, Freud; 2, Tamburlaine; 3, Bonnard.

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