Austmarr set to fly in G1 Robert Sangster

Speedy Godolphin mare Austmarr makes her G1 debut in Saturday’s Robert Sangster Stakes at Morphettville, with co-trainers Anthony and Sam Freedman following a pattern that yielded Black-Type dividends in Sydney last month.

The Freedmans deliberately kept the four-year-old fresh from her previous start at Rosehill before the free-running Austmarr proved too fast in the G3 Birthday Card Stakes 1,200m on 22 March.

Austmarr was then scratched from races over The Championships at Royal Randwick and instead headed south to prepare for the Robert Sangster over 1,200m.

Jamie Mott has the ride from barrier 11, and while Austmarr will be five weeks between runs, she stretched her legs with a second to 2023 The Everest winner Giga Kick in a jump-out recently.

“She goes into this race fresh, which has been a good recipe for her,” Sam Freedman said.
“She seems better on that fresh side, keeps that bounce in her legs.

“She had a tickover jump-out against Giga Kick the other day, which was a really good showing.
“They ran good time at Balnarring, so she’s ready to go.”

A winner of five races, including the Listed Manihi Classic over 1,100m at Morphettville 12 months ago, Austmarr has also been placed three times from just 13 starts.
“It’s a big step up on Saturday and she will have to run out a strong 1,200m, but she looks in really good form,” Freedman said.

“We’ll obviously adopt the same sort of tactics, she’s certainly not a hold-up horse on her best exposed form.
“The last time she ran at Morphettville she was a runaway winner as well.

“We’ll look to take on the same tactics, but she’ll probably have some company up the front.
“She’s capable of high-rolling in front and hopefully she keeps running.”

Freedman said the stable hoped a slight change to preparations could help Austmarr against a quality sprint field of fillies and mares.

“She’s had a little bit of travel this time around and obviously came back to Melbourne,” he said.
“She headed over yesterday and had a trot and canter on the track this morning and seemed really well.

“It’s something new that we haven’t done in our trips to Adelaide, so we hope that things will work out for her.”

The James Cummings-trained Commemorative is also engaged in the Sangster, with Blake Shinn booked to ride.

An impressive winner of the G3 Wenona Girl Quality 1,200m at Randwick on 8 March, Commemorative was then tightened for room on the inside when seventh in the G1 The Galaxy 1,100m at Rosehill two weeks later.

The giant daughter of I Am Invincible was then trapped four- and five-horses wide when a brave second in the G2 Sapphire Stakes 1,200m at Randwick on 12 April.

Shinn will need to produce some magic to prevent a recurrence form her barrier, but Commemorative does possess a devastating turn of foot if ridden conservatively.

Stablemate Lavalier shaped as a possible VRC Derby and ATC Derby contender six months ago.
Third-up from a spell, the Microphone three-year-old showed signs of a return to form when runner-up at Sandown on 9 April.

Jamie Melham retains the ride when a fitter Lavalier contests the G3 Chairman’s Stakes over 2,000m.

The consistent Pinito will be Cummings’ only runner at the Eagle Farm meeting in Brisbane when she lines up in the Listed Princess Stakes over 1,600m.

Although only a Hawkesbury maiden winner late last year, Pinito hasn’t missed a place in her other seven starts.

Fourth-up from a spell with Ryan Maloney in the saddle, Pinito is ready to peak and can produce a big finish when allowed to settle early in her races.