Minnesinger Could Go Into Australian Guineas Fresh

Co-trainer Lee Freedman has revealed that promising Godolphin colt Minnesinger could go into the 2015 Australian Guineas at Flemington on March 7 without a lead-up.

Dwayne Dunn steered Minnesinger to victory in the B McDowell Elsternwick Handicap at Sandown yesterday. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

Dwayne Dunn steered Minnesinger to victory in the B McDowell Elsternwick Handicap at Sandown yesterday. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

Minnesinger scored his maiden race win at Kilmore on January 4 and he made his metropolitan racing debut with a fast-finishing victory over Free on Saturday and Purreal in the B McDowell Elsternwick Handicap (1600m) at Sandown yesterday.

The Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) would present a massive step-up in class for Minnesinger, but Freedman told Sky Racing HQ this morning that he has a high opinion of the Lonhro colt and is considering setting the three-year-old for a fresh tilt at the Group 1 event, but added that he would need to get the permission of Henry Plumptre and Jason Walsh from the Godolphin operation.

“He is very, very raw and unexposed to racing,” Freedman said.

“He has made rapid improvement this time in.

“It wasn’t the strongest race yesterday, but the way that he did it impressed most people and he certainly impressed me with his finishing effort.

“These are discussions that I will have with Jason and Henry from Godolphin and we may formulate a plan that will lead us that way, but he is a horse at the moment that is typical of a lot of Lonhro’s and isn’t going to take a lot of punishment at this stage in terms of work and racing.

“What we will probably do and say yes that could be a goal.

“It is still a month away, which I think suits that horse, he came off a month’s break yesterday and had a good sprint to him at the finish.

“If we treat it that way and not try to win every battle in between we may be a chance of getting there.”

Minnesinger made his racing debut with a fourth place finish behind Petrology in a two-year-old event at Mornington in March of last year and was not given another race start as a juvenile.

He failed to fire when he started his summer preparation with a seventh place finish in the Land Engineering Plate (1200m) at Mornington on December 5  but he overcame a slow start to win the Variety Club Plate at Kilmore before his impressive effort carrying 59 kilograms at Sandown yesterday.

The Freedman stable could have two runners in the 2015 Australian Guineas winner as the in-form Java has also been set for the $500,000 race.

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.