Freedman looking for clear run so Empress can rule

Three weeks after a luckless return at Newcastle, exciting filly Empress Of Japan is back in a strong class 1 handicap at Kembla on Thursday.

A striking three-year-old daughter of Cox Plate winner Savabeel in the Michael Freedman yard at Randwick, Empress Of Japan lines up for her fourth start in an opening race that looms as a strong spring formline.

Five of the nine accepted runners were priced under $6.00 in early markets, headed by last-start maiden winners Interjection and Pleasure Artist, as well as Slick ‘N’ Quick, which is fourth up in her initial preparation, all around the $4.80 mark, with Empress Of Japan around $5.70.

And connections will be banking on a sharp 300m rise in distance doing the trick after the compass all went wrong first up. That day, Empress Of Japan was buried away back in the field from a low barrier and had all sorts of trouble getting clear early in the straight before hitting the line just behind the place-getters.

The winner of that class 1 over 1200m in slick time was heavily backed Snow In May, a talented daughter of boom sire The Autumn Sun.

An impressive and fast-finishing debut winner at Gosford in March, Empress Of Japan audaciously took on group 2 company a month later before being spelled.

Unlike Newcastle, she has drawn the outside gate and is likely to be ridden quieter before being given plenty of room to finish down the middle over the final 400m.

Hawkesbury-based trainer Brad Widdup saddles up two of the better early fancies at the meeting.