Matisse starts G1 Thousand Guineas path at The Valley

A change to Spring Carnival dates has delayed the return to the racetrack of the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained filly Matisse.

The Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on November 16 is the race the father-and-son training operation has circled as the filly’s spring goal.

After campaigning as a two-year-old in Melbourne during the autumn and then having one run and a break in Brisbane during the winter, Matisse is ready to make her return in the Group 3 Scarborough Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on Friday night.

Matisse had form around Manikato Stakes aspirant Hayasugi during the Blue Diamond Series as a two-year-old, running third to her twice before finishing seventh in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield.

The filly broke through for her maiden win at Doomben in June and was given another break before making her way down to Sydney to prepare for her spring campaign.

Sam Freedman said after two trials in Sydney, Matisse was ready to go on Friday night, but warned the filly was not fully wound up.

“She’s on a Thousand Guineas path, given they’ve moved that to later in the Spring, so she’s kicking off a little bit later,” Freedman said.

“It was nice to see her get that race out of the way in Queensland and she’s Stakes placed already and we’re looking to build on that CV.”

Freedman said a three-run campaign ahead of the Thousand Guineas has been planned, although should the filly show she will not run 1600m, they could adapt her campaign to suit.

After Friday night’s first-up run, the Group 2 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) at Caulfield on October 19 was next on the drawing board followed by the Group 3 The Vanity (1400m) at Flemington on Victoria Derby Day.

“The dam was quite fast and there’s some sprinters down the page, but I think the way that she’s relaxing and finishing off her trials and races suggests that at least 1400 (metres) looks within her range,” Freedman said.

“And on that a mile would certainly be possible, but if we get an inkling that she isn’t going to stay that sort of trip, we can always pivot, but, at the moment, the Thousand Guineas is front of mind.”

Tommy Berry, who rode Matisse in her trials in Sydney, is making the trip to Melbourne on Friday night partner the filly.