Juan more: Diva gets another shot
STAKES-winning mare Juan Diva will need to overcome a visitors draw to win Saturday’s Tattersall’s Classic, but trainer Will Freedman believes she is equipped with the right tools to do it.
The Sydney-based mare detests anything but a bonedry track, something she should get at the Gold Coast on Saturday, and Freedman says she relishes racing in the Sunshine State.
Also nominated for the Listed Starlight Stakes in Sydney, Freedman, who trains in partnership with his father Richard, said the mare was put on the float to Queensland on Wednesday night.
A Group 3 winner during the Queensland winter carnival, connections had the option to send the expensive mare to the breeding barn, but opted to race on, something her trainers are looking to repay the faith for.
“She is owned by Trelawney Stud and they had the option to retire her after she won the Healey, but decided to race her on which I think is a really good thing for racing in general,” Will Freedman said.
“She is very well bred, if she can get another blacktype win under her belt, her value goes up again.
“Her owners are some of the best breeders in New Zealand, so it is good they decided to race her on.”
While the form guide shows a last-start 10th placing, Freedman said Juan Diva is deserving of favouritism at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
“I thought she is well in at the weights at Queensland, she is a 98-rater, the next is 93 and we are only giving them a kilo – we do have the visitors’ draw but,” he said.
“She won the Healey up there and sat three-wide to win. “The one thing she has over a lot of other horses is that in high-pressure races, she can still sprint.
“A lot of horses find it difficult to sprint off fast tempos. I thought she has come up well at the odds, based on her historical form I thought she might have deserved to be favourite.
“She is in good order, she really hates any moisture in the ground at all these days, she loomed like she was going to give an effort at Flemington but was a bit disappointing. Jye McNeil got off and said she didn’t want to stretch out on the softer going.”
Juan Diva is rated a $5 chance with TAB.