An Australian start for German import Waldpark is getting closer after the six year finished fourth in a trial at Cranbourne today.
Mawingo, blue and white, winning the 2012 Doomben Cup. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Flemington trainer Anthony Freedman was happy with the hit-out and will now look for a race to kick start his Spring Carnival campaign.
“He missed the start two or three lengths and the track is heavy, but I was happy,” Freedman told Racing Network.
“He’ll just improve with racing and once he picks up the tempo of Australian racing he’ll be right.”
Freedman has picked out two possible starting points for the German Derby winner, the Group 1 $350,000 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on September 7 and the Group 2 $300,000 Dato’ Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley on September 14 with the latter one likely to get the nod.
Ridden by Craig Williams, Waldpark ran into fourth spot on the heavy track over the unsuitable distance of 1190m.
Waldpark was the winner of his first four race starts in Germany, and was successful in the 2011 Group 1 €500,000 Idee 142 Deutsches Derby (2400m) at Hamburg.
At his last run before coming to Australia, Walpark ran top European stayer Novelist to a head in the Group 2 €70,000 Grosser Preis Der Badischen Unternehmer (2200m) at Baden-Baden.
Freedman has already had success with German imports and took out the 2102 Group 1 $500,000 Kirks Doomben Cup (2000m) at Doomben with Mawingo.
Freedman has nominated Waldpark for the Group 1 $2.65m BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield on October 19 and the Group 1 $3m Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 26.
