Black Freda ready to strike gold in Bracelet

Rising middle-distance galloper Black Freda will be one of the main fancies in Sunday’s $35,000 Pelicans Albany Golden Bracelet (1600m) at Percy Spencer Racecourse.

The exciting mare is one of nine runners in the second feature race at the bumper Albany Racing Club meeting, and Capel trainer Gary Hitchcock will be chasing more success at the venue having recently won here with Mulga.

Hitchcock believes his six-year-old mare is ideally placed to win her fifth career race, having drawn gate one with Alan Kennedy aboard.

Black Freda ran second, resuming in Bunbury in December, and then stormed home from ninth on the turn to finish third behind Sandalwood at Ascot over 1600m on January 20.

“She doesn’t like being inside horses so barrier one probably doesn’t help her,” Hitchcock said.

“But she has gate speed to go early. I’d expect her to be hard to beat in that field.

“Last run she produced a powerful finish and she has trained on beautifully since then. This race sort of popped up for us.

“I want to get her going to the country cups but this looks an ideal assignment for her.”

Black Freda won over 1600m last campaign in Northam and has previously won at her third start back from a spell.

Emerging stayer Amaliemoo will drop back in distance to contest the fillies and mares feature for trainer Adam Durrant, who won the race in 2016 with Crystal Gardens. The four-year-old has been placed at her past three starts, all over 1800m, but her four career victories have come over 1400m.

In-form apprentice Brodie Kirby jumps aboard the top weight from gate three.

Albany trainer Steve Wolfe will chase his third success in the race when he starts Jester Ferrari, who has to overcome barrier eight for jockey Shaun McGruddy.

Uptown Funk , who has recently arrived at the Jonathon Jachmann stable, is ideally drawn in gate two for rider Shaun O’Donnell, while fellow local trainers Stephen Sheehy (Better Romance), Liam O’Loughlin (Prix D’Excellence) and Paul Parsons (Suntrapper) also have runners engaged.

The Ladies’ Day meeting is an eight-race card which starts at 1.05pm with the Golden Bracelet at 3.45pm before the Fitzpatrick Plate is contested at 4.52pm.