When Mitchell Freedman began planning the Spring Carnival assault for Attrition, he was not banking on the presence of two of Australia’s best weight-for-age performers in an early preparation Grand Final.
Attrition runs in the Group 2 Feehan Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley on Friday night, looking to overturn his second placing to Pinstriped in last year’s race.
But the presence of Mr Brightside and Pride Of Jenni on Friday night has dampened Freedman’s enthusiasm slightly, although Attrition enters the race in peak condition.
“It is what it is,” Freedman said when asked about the presence of Mr Brightside and Pride of Jenni on Friday night.
“Those horses are in the same boat as us. They’re plotting their way through the spring, so you change it as you need to.
“It’s going to be a strong race, but he has held his own against them in the past and I think he’s going into the race in the best shape he’s been going into a race for a while.”
Attrition has raced twice this campaign.
He was a closing second in the Listed Leon Macdonald Stakes (1400m) at Morphettville on August 24 before running seventh in the So You Think Stakes (1500m) at The Valley on September 7.
A jump-out at Donald last week and a gallop at The Valley on Monday has Freedman confident he has Attrition in peak order.
“He’s really been strengthening and coming on in his coat the whole preparation and his fitness levels have come along for the ride as well,” Freedman said.
“It’s been an early preparation Grand Final for him, and I think we’ve built the horse up nicely at home and I think he will be peaking Friday night.
“We’ve been able to get a solid block of work into him and we’ve just been able to come off him now and hopefully have him firing for Friday night.”
While the Feehan is seen as an early preparation Grand Final, the $2 million Five Diamonds at Rosehill on November 9 is the ultimate goal.
Freedman wants to see how Attrition performs on Friday night before deciding on a path.
There is the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) on October 12, a race he won last year, there is the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick or the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 5 and the Group 1 Might And Power (2000m) at Caulfield on October 12 as potential options.
“All that will all be decided on what happens on Friday night and then how we get to the Five Diamonds in Sydney,” Freedman said.