Monday morning jumpouts on the famed Flemington straight course are something of a rarity and Anthony Freedman wasn’t letting the opportunity slip with Doull.
An 800-metre hit-out was the most serious step yet in what could be an exclusively straight-track campaign for the Coolmore Stud Stakes favourite.
The son of Snitzel, whose only raceday appearance produced an 1100m Flemington win, showed good speed to lead the jumpout and while reeled in late by city winner Atlantis Tycoon, the colt who is raced by the Rosemont Stud-led Victorian Alliance went to the line with plenty in hand.
“He came here for his first trial and wasn’t asked to do a lot, so I’m happy with how he went,” Freedman said.
“He did it under his own steam and he’s still got a little while before runs so he’ll probably have another one (jumpout).
“The plan is to come here for the September meeting and we’ve got a bit of a plan in mind where he basically runs here in straight races all the way through.”
That would mean resuming in the $175,000 Listed Poseidon Stakes (1100m) on September 10 and taking in the $300,000 Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1100m) on October 1 en route to the $2 million Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) on October 29.
Doull was one of a number of quality colts Freedman, who trains in partnership with son Sam, produced on Monday morning with Blue Diamond winner Daumier also stepping out for the first time this campaign.
He was asked to do little in his first public appearance since finishing fourth in the Golden Slipper, finishing towards the rear of his jumpout, but Freedman said things would get more serious for the son of Epaulette in a couple of weeks.
“He was beaten a couple of lengths but that would be how I’d expect he would go without his blinkers, so I’m happy with him,” Freedman said.
“He’ll have another one (jumpout) with the blinkers on in a couple of weeks and we’ll work out where we head with him.”
That jumpout was won by Buffalo River, who reeled in Daumier’s stablemate and Home Affairs’ half-brother Wilbury, who showed good dash.
“He’s obviously a well bred colt, he trialled quite nicely and he’ll go to a maiden just to get him started,” Freedman said of the son of Written Tycoon.
It wasn’t just three-year-old colts that the Freedman stable produced on Monday with Argentia ramping up preparations for her first start as a four-year-old.
The daughter of Frankel hit the line stylishly to finish second, half-a-length behind the Chris Waller-trainer Fuller, with four-time Group 1 winner Tofane a length further back.
Freedman nominated the $200,000 Group 3 Cockram Stakes (1200m) as a potential kick-off for Argentia, whose campaign will be geared around peaking for the $1 million Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on October 29.