With Caulfield’s pattern of racing on Saturday appearing to favour on pace runners, the $200,000 G3 MRC How Now Stakes (1200m) come from behind victory of Freedman Racing's Blue Point (IRE) mare Point Barrow was clearly impressive.
Dropping back from contesting G1 sprints at her last two starts, the Mark Zahra ridden mare jumped away well from the gates and in her usual racing style, sat back in the field as the short-priced Bridal Waltz went forward to take up the running on the rail.
Pulling wide as the field entered the home straight, Zahra took his opportunity to make up some necessary ground and once Bridal Waltz took the field into the straight, Point Barrow was just a few lengths off her and ready to pounce.
While Inkaruna was needing an out from behind the leader, Zahra zoomed down the outside aboard the 4yo mare, gathering in Bridal Waltz to take the prize, her third G3 victory.
Co-trainer Sam Freedman was pleased to see the mare return to winning form.
“A very good win,” enthused Freedman. “She was a good run in the Moir, I think it was a sneaky run. She didn't like the ground, the wheels spun a bit, but she's a real fast ground filly.”
“I was getting a little worried how the track was starting to play through the day… she’s a proper mare, she’s got her day in the sun at some stage at the top level. We've had a couple of cracks, we’ll have another go, probably on the last day, that sprint (at Flemington) that’s been the plan the whole way through.”
Asked if she could back up in the G1 Manikato Stakes, Freedman said it was unlikely, but never say never.
“Never say never but she puts a lot into her races, she’s a very genuine mare, I think she’s better spacing her runs a little bit now.
“I still think that sprint on the last day, down the straight, if you can sort of just be close enough when they really let down, she could be a player there on fresh legs while everyone else chases Everests.”
Having not ridden the mare on race day since her debut Zahra was complimentary of regular rider Daniel Stackhouse.
“Took me two years to get back on her. Stacky's done a great job. He's won a lot of races on her.
“You know, unfortunate for him, but fortunate for me. I finally got back on, what a turn of foot. That was pretty exciting.
“When they stacked up, they rolled a bit early, but they stacked right up, and I just wanted to be on top of them before they got away from me again, and I didn't want to disappoint her because she tracked up right before the bend, so I let her turn of foot do the rest.
“Not too bad. You can't move your hands on her, she's got that bit of an awkward head carriage, but she was good enough. I had the drag into the race, and like I say, when they bunched up, I took my opportunity and she was sensational in the finish.”
Purchased for $400,000 from the Magic Millions yearling sale draft of Yarraman Park Stud, who had bred the daughter of Blue Point in partnership with Robert and Barbara McClure of Morning Rise Stud, the 4yo has now taken her record to six wins and two third placed efforts from just 11 starts with earnings of $706,670.
Point Barrow is the best of two winners out of the G3-winning Reward for Effort mare Take Pride, who was bought from the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale in 2017 for $550,000 by James Bester Bloodstock and comes from the family of Caulfield Cup winner Mummify.
Take Pride has an unnamed 2yo colt by Home Affairs and foaled a colt last spring by Hellbent before unfortunately missing to the very same stallion.
Point Barrow is one of 33 world-wide stakes winners for Darley shuttler Blue Point, who did not come to Australia this spring.
