Pallaton races into 2025 Golden Slipper contention

Pallaton has stamped himself as a two-year-old colt to watch heading into 2025 with an impressive debut win at Randwick.

Trained by Michael Freedman and ridden by Tommy Berry, Pallaton raced to a 2-3/4-length victory in Saturday’s Shinzo @ Coolmore Plate (1000m) and firmed to be among the early favourites in Golden Slipper markets off the back of the impressive debut.

Pallaton ($4.20) was able to get into a position just behind the leaders on settling down in Saturday’s race and the colt by Wootton Bassett out of Anevay unleashed an impressive finish once Berry was able to angle him into the clear inside the final 300m.

Pallaton sprinted to the front and then drew away over the final 100m to defeat $4 betting sites favourite Chergui, with Wisnierska ($6.50) another three quarters of a length away in third.

Freedman said he would let the dust settle before deciding on the next steps for Pallaton but indicated he would likely give the colt a freshen up now with a view to the autumn.

“I’d say we’ll most likely give him a little let-up for 10 days or so and then bring him back and target some of the better two-year-old races,” Freedman said.

Freedman said they had formed a good opinion of Pallaton right from early on in his build-up towards his race debut.

“He’s been very professional right from the first day we got him in,” the trainer said.

“He’s got a great temperament, just a perfect two-year-old type.

“I worked him with an older horse earlier this week and he held his own. I thought, ‘well, if he brings that to the races then hopefully we can see the best of him’.

“I think there’s a bit more to come with him because he’s certainly not bottomed out yet.”

Berry, who has won three Golden Slippers aboard Overreach, Vancouver and Stay Inside, said he was “pretty excited” about Pallaton and had been confident of a bold showing from the colt on debut, especially after his trackwork earlier this week.

“They don’t work like that very often, not at two,” Berry said.

“And we were pretty excited about him going into today.

“I was a bit worried because everyone I spoke to, they had a big opinion of their two-year-old. I said to Michael, ‘with Godolphin’s and Gai’s and Snowden’s, everyone thinks this is one of their better ones so if he can come out and win today, I think we might have a nice one’.”