Written by Paul Vettise
Prime Star (Starspangledbanner) has been in fine touch this preparation with a minor query over him running a strong 1600 metres the only possible negative ahead of another potentially hefty pay day at Randwick.
The Richard and Michael Freedman-trained chestnut will tackle a mile for the first time in Saturday’s $1 million Bar 83 Bondi S. with Tommy Berry booked for the ride.
Prime Star is in line to complete a notable big money double following his success last season in the $2 million R. Listed Inglis Millennium at Warwick Farm.
In four subsequent appearances he has only missed a place and that was first-up on heavy ground in the Listed Rosebud. He then struck a run of good tracks for consecutive runner-up finishes.
At his most recent outing, Prime Star was second to Peltzer (So You Think {NZ}), a race rival again, in the G2 Stan Fox S. over 1500 metres.
“He is in good form and hasn’t taken a backward step since the Stan Fox,” Michael Freedman said. “He’s a happy horse and the 1600 metres is a little bit of a question mark because he hasn’t been there before.
“He was strong enough in the Stan Fox so we’re thinking he should be okay.”
Pre-post confidence
The pre-post market also shares that confidence with Prime Star a clear second favourite behind the Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained Peltzer.
There is also enough in Prime Star’s pedigree to suggest he can master a mile as his dam Barinka (NZ) (Shinko King {Ire}) won the G1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ S. and the Listed Anniversary H. over the trip.
Prime Star was offered by Fairview Park Stud at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale where he was knocked down to the China Horse Club and Freedman for $55,000. They have enjoyed an outstanding return on that investment with the gelding’s stake earnings already at $1,362,800.
Prime Star as a yearling
Meanwhile, his talented stablemate Forbidden Love (All Too Hard) has earned herself a trip to the Melbourne spring carnival.
She too has been in grand touch this campaign with two wins from four appearances, and placings in the G2 Furious S. and the Listed Heritage S.
Forbidden Love led all the way last time out to claim the Listed Reginald Allen S. at Randwick last weekend to confirm a tilt at the G1 Empire Rose S.
She was offered at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale by Bhima Thoroughbreds and purchased by Richard Freedman for $150,000.
A half-sister to three-time winner Kuramae (Foxwedge), she is out of Juliet's Princess (USA) (More Than Ready {USA}) and a well-performed North American family that includes Group 2 winner Dark Cove (USA) (Medaglia D'Oro {USA}) and Group 3 winners River Squall (USA) (Summer Squall {USA}), Better Now (USA) (Thunder Gulch {USA}) and Heavenly Landing (USA) (Pulpit {USA}).
