Ballarat trainer Mitchell Freedman had been content with the progress his stable star Attrition was making in the early part of the spring.

But after a disappointing effort in the Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield, Freedman is hoping, rather than confident, that Attrition can bounce back to form in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap at Caulfield on Saturday.

Attrition resumed with an eye-catching fifth in the P B Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield before running second to Pinstriped in the Feehan Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley on September 9.

While more than happy with those performances, Freedman was left deflated when Attrition beat only two home in Underwood Stakes on September 23.

“We had to go back from the gate, and I probably thought there was a lot more speed early in that race, but they just went very steady,” Freedman said.

“And then they got to the top of the hill and took off.

“I think he lost sight of the bunny a little bit and got sick of chasing, so hopefully he can park in a better spot on Saturday.

“I thought he should have been finishing off with Soulcombe and Without A Fight, and he wasn’t, so that was the part I was disappointed with.

“If he had of been, then I would have walked away happy.”

Freedman said all the signs post that effort have been encouraging.

He said Attrition had been working well and eating well and was putting down the disappointing effort to having an off day.

“A colt, in the spring, he might have been focussed a little elsewhere,” Freedman said.

“He seems to have worked really well at home since then, so we’re going to have to put our faith in the horse that he’ll turn it around on race day.

“There looks like there’s a lot of speed, so it should be a good test.

“We toyed with the idea of the blinkers, but I would rather make sure he was going well before we put that sort of gear on.”