Trainer Mitchell Freedman would like to right the wrongs of last year’s Feehan Stakes with Attrition and has a circle around this year’s contest.
But first, Freedman has the So You Think Stakes (1500m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday in his sights for Attrition.
The So You Think Stakes replaces the Group 2 Feehan Stakes (1600m) on Saturday’s program with the Moonee Valley Racing Club transferring the Feehan to the Grand Final Eve meeting at The Valley on September 27.
The Feehan Stakes still retains its ‘Win and You’re In’ features for the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) on October 26, with the Club feeling the race was better placed four weeks from The Valley’s showpiece rather than seven weeks out.
Attrition was narrowly beaten by Pinstriped in last year’s Feehan Stakes and got the ‘Golden Ticket’ into the Cox Plate, something Freedman is chasing this year.
“The Feehan has got a bit of a circle around it,” Freedman said.
“He will obviously meet tougher opposition in that than what he will meeting on Saturday, but the prize money is good, and it’s got the Golden Ticket with it as well.
“He’s going well and a run like he produced in last year’s Feehan would see him competitive in most Feehan’s, I would have thought.”
After his narrow defeat in last year’s Feehan, Attrition flopped in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield before dropping back to the 1600m to claim the Toorak Handicap and give Freedman his first Group 1 win.
After two disappointing autumn runs, Attrition was put aside for the spring, resuming with a pleasing second in the Listed Leon Macdonald Stakes (1400m) in Adelaide on August 24.
Freedman said the trip away had done wonders for the five-year-old entire.
“He’s a stallion and the trip over got him thinking and on the job,” Freedman said.
“The moment he got off the float over there, the spark was alive, and he was raring to go.
“I thought he ran really well with improvement to come.
“We’ve put a really good base underneath him and we expect to continue with racing and with the work that will go into that.”
As part of Attrition’s preparation for Saturday’s race, Freedman took the opportunity of giving the entire a trip away from Ballarat and a gallop at The Valley.
“He’s been down here a few times and got around really well,” Freedman said.
“Being a stallion it’s a good idea to change up his routine and keep him thinking, keep him on the job and we thought we’d take him down and give him a stretch of the legs on a good surface.”
Beau Mertens, who rode Attrition in his Toorak Handicap success, again has the ride on Saturday.