Freedman’s hopes are flying high with a wet track forecast at Rosehill

“When it’s next to an S or H track rating, its performance really goes up.”

Rosehill is hosting its first meeting since a major course renovation and was graded a soft 5 on Friday.

Pleasure Artist, a four-year-old mare by Trapeze Artist, was the $14 outsider with Jay Ford riding. Two starts ago she won at Canterbury in a benchmark 72 over 1900m but then finished in a benchmark 78 over 2000m at Randwick.

“I think we’ve been riding her a little bit upside down recently,” Freedman said.

“She was sitting on a very hot pace and I don’t think she’s comfortable with that, so she can improve.

The Peter Snowden-prepared Unspoken ($3.20) and Chris Waller’s Imperialist ($3.30) competed for favourites, with Future History next at $4.80.

The Freedmans are also pinning their hopes on Casino Prince, the five-year-old Forbidden Riff, who is rising in class to go seventh, in the benchmark 78 handicap over 2400m.

The former Anthony Cummings-trained galloper has won five of 11 starts since joining the Freedmans and is on a three-race winning streak in the provincials. His last was on New Year’s Eve in class 68 at 2100m in Gosford. He was on $11 from gate 10 with Chad Schofield aboard.

“Every time we throw a hurdle in front of hm, he’s been jumping it lately,” Freedman said. “He’s a good, honest horse who tries hard every start and I definitely think he’ll run away that trip.

The stable’s shortest chance on the program was Written In Munny, due to debut in the two-year-old handicap (1100m) earlier in the day.

The Written Tycoon colt, a $360,000 yearling, was $4.60 after a sharp trial at Rosehill, but Freedman said: “If he gets wet, he might not go.”

“We could wait another week with him,” he said.

“I think he ran a second and a half faster than all the other trials that day, including all the older horses, and that’s quite a margin. He’s fast and we’ll see how good he is over the next month or so.”

The magic is fading for Baker on the Gold Coast

Warwick Farm trainer Bjorn Baker could be without a runner in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic after unbeaten favorite Warwoven and stablemate Masvingo failed vet checks at the Gold Coast on Friday.

Warwoven was in the $3 million race on Friday morning before he was found to be limping on his foreleg during the pre-race inspection, while stablemate Masvingo ($41) was declared lame on his near foreleg. On Friday afternoon, the checks failed again. Racing Queensland stewards said they should be reviewed on Saturday, ahead of the deadline.

“We think maybe there’s a bit of a leg problem with Warwoven so we’re going to work on that and we’re sure he’ll be right,” Baker told his followers on Instagram this morning.

The setbacks come after Baker lost early race favorite Paradoxyum to illness.

Baker won the race with O’Ole last year, giving trainer and jockey Tommy Berry an emotional victory. Berry’s twin brother Nathan combined with Baker to win the race with Unencumbered in 2014, three months before the jockey’s death aged just 23.

Tommy rides Mystical ($41) in this year’s race and is partnered by favorite Ninja in the $3 million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (1400m), both for Randwick trainer Michael Freedman.

Berry expects Ninja to improve on his stunning five-length victory in the Vo Rogue Plate when he faces another wide hurdle. It was Berry’s first session on the gelding Farnan, blowing away his rival despite a wide run.

“I think that’s why he’s so short, to win so convincingly last start against similar opposition and treat them with contempt,” Berry said.

“People think he can be unlucky and he’ll probably win anyway. We’re hoping we don’t get too much, but we know we’ve got the right horse if we run into problems or get caught.”

“He was five weeks between runs going into his second run. Now he’s only two weeks apart and he’s stripped a bit better so he’s only going to get better.”

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The filly Mystical has finished second in her two runs and Berry hopes the addition of visors will help.

“She just lacks that early speed you need to win two-year-old races,” he said.

“Magic millions always have good speed, which will help her well.

“She galloped with a pair of visors on Tuesday morning and was a lot sharper so we’re hoping that will give her a bit of an edge that was missing in those first two runs.