By Neil Evans
Despite still chasing a breakthrough win, a talented, albeit frustrating, three-year-old can finally break the shackles in his sixth start at Thursday’s feature Hawkesbury meeting.
Carnegie Hill, a son of the prolific I Am Invincible in the Michael Freedman stable at Randwick, returns for his first run since early December in a maiden plate over 1300m.
Randwick trainer Michael Freedman.Credit: Getty Images
Owned by the Chung family, Carnegie Hill has tested the patience of connections since a debut flop at home in heavy going early in July.
He quickly returned to the paddock after a second poor showing as a late-season two-year-old before re-emerging with three much-improved efforts late last year in handy super maiden fields. But still finding setbacks, he was again turned out for 18 weeks before returning with two progressive Randwick trials last month.
Now, Carnegie Hill finally looks set to show his true ability, opening as $3.40 equal favourite alongside Marias, which has placed in four runs this prep, with Righteous Legend on the next line at $4.80.
And in a real stable pointer, Carnegie Hill resumes at the same track and over the same distance as the last campaign when he charged home from midfield to be beaten by a nose.
Meanwhile, one of the more exciting three-year-olds to emerge from the Hunter this year takes his next important step in a Midway benchmark 64 handicap over a mile.
Caltsar, a son of UK star Calyx in the Nathan Doyle yard at Newcastle, returns for only his second start three weeks after a dominant heavy-track debut win at home.
That success from just off the speed over 1400m came behind two eye-catching trial wins on rain-affected ground, and had connections immediately earmarking him for bigger targets, and even a potential trip north for the Queensland carnivals.
The stable was still weighing up whether to race at Hawkesbury or tackle a class 1 Handicap over the same trip at the Scone Cup meeting on Friday where he drew well but has to carry 58kg in a full field of 16.
Either way, the Doyle camp will maintain a strong hand at Hawkesbury with new stable addition Queen’s Rhapsody, a talented daughter of So You Think, an early short-priced favourite to salute in a provincial 3YO maiden handicap over 1100m.
Four times a runner-up from four starts, Queen’s Rhapsody has won both lead-up trials on rain-affected ground since transferring from the David Pfieffer stable.
And before that, the Doyle yard can hit the ground running in the opener with improving Capitalist colt Hidden Motive third up in a maiden plate for the two-year-olds over 1100m, coming back from two solid efforts in deeper metropolitan line-ups.
