Cover image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
Rising 3-year-olds Artorius and Argentia will resume in the coming weeks while the plan of attack for La Mexicana was to have her up and going earlier and she will resume in Saturday’s MRC Member Garry Franklin H. at Caulfield.
Artorius came off a Sandown win to charge to victory in the G1 Blue Diamond S. earlier this year and was then put aside after he came from last to finish sixth in the G1 Golden Slipper S.
The colt spelled in warmer climates and the Freedmans will be following a familiar and successful route they went down with a high-class former stablemate.
“Artorius had his first serious gallop on Tuesday morning and is going along really well. He will be following a similar path to Super Seth and will resume in the G3 McNeil S. at the end of August,” Racing Manager, Brad Taylor, said.
“Artorius had his first serious gallop on Tuesday morning and is going along really well.” – Brad Taylor
The now Waikato Stud resident Super Seth won the McNeil first-up and subsequently also added the G1 Caulfield Guineas to his 3-year-old record.
Taylor said Artorius had thrived during his time away and had noticeably furnished into a more powerful individual.
“He has returned in really good order and enjoyed his time up in Queensland. He’s bigger and stronger, he looks super and we’re really looking forward to getting him back to the races,” Taylor said.
Stylish debut
A daughter of multiple Group 1 winner Princess Coup (Encosta De Lago), Argentia was an impressive winner of her only start at Flemington earlier last month.
“She’s a super filly and we were rapt to see what she did on debut. We have always had a good opinion of her and had hoped to get her to the G1 Blue Diamond S., but she was a bit immature,” Taylor said.
“We gave her the time she needed and it was great to be rewarded. She had a short break of three weeks after that win, we looked after her and boxed her at night to keep her out of the cold and had her in the paddock during the day.”
Argentia
Like Artorius, the stable will draw on past experience to plot a Group 1 path for Argentia.
“She’s done really well and will probably follow a similar path to what we did with Shoals. She will kick off in the Listed Atlantic Jewel S. and hopefully go through to the G1 Thousand Guineas,” Taylor said.
Shoals (Fastnet Rock) won the Atlantic Jewel to open her 3-year-old career and subsequently finished runner-up in the G2 Tranquil Star S. and Thousand Guineas before beating the older mares in the G1 Myer Classic.
“If she is competitive in the Guineas, we may even look at the Myer (now the Empire Rose S.) as we did with Shoals. She is a very exciting filly and we're looking forward to seeing where she can get to in the spring,” Taylor said.
Burgeoning record
La Mexicana has won six of her nine starts and last preparation boosted her value with successes in the G3 Kevin Hayes S. and the Listed Crockett S. The stable is hoping she can continue her progression through to the highest level.
“She’s put a good record together as a 3-year-old and she was one we wanted to get back early and target some early races and hopefully add more black type to her pedigree page,” Taylor said.
“She’s already a Group 3 winner and if she gets some more it would be great.”
While her program has yet to be set in stone, the G1 Memsie S. is on La Mexicana’s radar.
“Sometimes you can get the stayers and horses that need more ground in the Memsie and those sorts of races. That could be a target for her, but we’ll get through Saturday first and then lock in a plan for her,” Taylor said.
“La Mexicana’s only had the one jump-out, we usually give her two, so she will take plenty of improvement out of Saturday’s run.
“La Mexicana’s only had the one jump-out, we usually give her two, so she will take plenty of improvement out of Saturday’s run.” – Brad Taylor
“She went up to Queensland and had a short break and did a bit of work before she came back here. She’s not screwed right down for this and there is improvement to come for the targets ahead. She’ll be at her best second and third-up heading into the spring.
“It is a nice wee field and the favourite (Miss Albania) meets her a lot better at the weights with an 8kg turnaround.
“She will be carrying 60kg first-up so it’s not going to be easy, but Jamie (Kah) does know her so well. We’re sure she will run really well.”
Jamie Kah and La Mexicana | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
